Hunger Games: A New World
by Pen1
Summary: After the rebellion, life still goes on at least for Katniss. But when Gale and his Expeditionary Force discovers something on their quest for the countries that existed before Panem's time, her life will be changed...
1. Chapter 1: A Fire in Town

Chapter 1

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am 17 years old. I was a Victor in the 74th Hunger Games, a terrible thing that turned young precious children into killers. It almost turned me into one, except that it left scars in me that take forever to disappear. I won by threatening to swallow some nightlock with Peeta, the boy with the bread. But until now, I still don't know why I did it just to save him and myself. Nothing would have happened, the bloodshed in the rebellion and my sister's death, if I had either ate the berries myself or sent an arrow at his heart. I would have lived with a broken heart to my dying day, but at least thousands of innocent people wouldn't have been killed in the war. Yeah, Prim. I should have done that to save you from being burned to ashes by the bombs crafted by Gale, my closest friend other than Peeta.

The cold-blooded plans of that monster President Snow forced me and Peeta into the Games once more during the Quarter Quell. Before I set foot into the jungle arena, I swore that I would keep Peeta, the friend that actually loved me with all his heart and even suffered a beating so that I and my family wouldn't starve, alive. My plan was going to work. But then the secretive and manipulative rebels, with Haymitch on their side, came in and scooped me up with Finnick and Beetee, living Peeta and the others to the cruel hands of the Capitol. The rest is history. But Peeta is now as hurt and cut as me. He was hijacked by the Capitol so that he could be turned into the monster they failed to turn him into in the earlier Games. But occasionally back at District 13, he used to scream obscenities at me, at they would knock him out with morphine. Monster or not, he is still the boy with the bread. Many times they would also have to knock me out too, as I would scream for him and try to get to him, to tell him how sorry I was, that I didn't end it all when I had the chance.

"Katniss?" Greasy Sae's old voice comes from the kitchen. "I'm going to the Hob. Are you coming with me?" Normally, I would have said no. I would be too busy thinking about my painful past, my lovely sister Prim and everything else that is slowly killing me inside. But I say yes. Greasy Sae looks sort of surprised, and then silently triumphant that at last there's some progress for my part. "Good." she says. "I''ll be gong in a few minutes. I need to get a basket and so on." Then the old woman shuffles off. I really need to thank her for sticking around to cook and wash for me as I'm not really steady yet. She's been good to me in so many ways. I know that I'll have to branch out and live on my own without needing Greasy Sae to do chores for me. She isn't my servant. I think about that most of the time.

I go to my room and open the wardrobe. Familiar clothes stand out. My father's hunting jacket. Some clothes that somewhat cross between the designs of the outfits of the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. However, the brave valiant patterns do not give me a leap of horror and dismay with the memories of those two hell-on-earth events. Instead, they give me a kind of hope, that I would be fine despite the thousand nightmares I would have all week, asleep or not. Every piece of garment has the mockingjay on it. The symbol that united the districts together so that we would be free from that cursed President Snow and the Hunger Games, despite many thousands losing their lives. Now, it is the symbol that keeps me living, for now. I guess I'll have to thank Cinna, who survived the torture in the Capitol and was rescued by the rebels on the last day of the war. He specially designed many of my clothes for me, to remind me that I could live again, without any fear.

I find myself wearing a grayish shirt with my father's old jacket over it, and a pair of dark long pants. I put on my hunting boots and walk with Greasy Sae out from the Victor's Village. I am awed by the sight of houses that look as modern and furnished as the one that I live in. Gone are the rickety shacks the people of District 12 lived in. Gone are the dark mines, in which my father died. Instead, a factory for medicine and a big hospital replaces them. I hear from Greasy Sae a few weeks ago that District 12 is now the main producer of medicine. As for coal to generate the country's electricity, Beettee, a dear friend that had suffered with me in the Games and in the Capitol when we were trying to burn down Snow's backyard, decided to turn to wind energy as an alternative. It wasn't hard for them to find a good windy place at District 2-the hill that used to be the Nut, the Capitol's ex-stronghold.

District 12 has recovered and moved on faster than me. Greasy Sae and I arrive at the new Hob, a sparkling and a more busier place than its predecessor that was torched long ago. Gone are the scanty and parched wares on grimy wooden shelves. Instead, plastic boxes stacked with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats that used to be as expensive as gold for us and even more brands of alcohol (good new for my old mentor Haymitch, who's still a drunk, unfortunately). The prices are much lower than I expect. A mother can bring back home a feast from the Hob for the family at this rate. Besides this abundance, food stalls await with steaming pots of soups and delicacies, just like the old times. But dog is not the only thing on the menu. I see the familiar green noodles I savored at my first Hunger Games being sold by a bald man. The lamb stew that was my favourite dish in the Capitol sits on a platter at a crowded table. Things have changed, really.

A few people recognise me and smile. I nod at them in return. Some of their smiles seem sympathetic. I can't help thinking whether they know what I have gone through as the Mockingjay. Just then, a bell starts ringing out of nowhere. Heads turn and hands drop whatever they are holding. The sound is familiar to my ears, as the bell has always sounded when a blaze is around the corner. The smell of burning reaches my nose. But it is not from Peeta's new bakery.

"Fire." I say to myself and leave Greasy Sae to see what's going on.


	2. Chapter 2: Out of the Ashes

Chapter 2

"Katniss!" somebody shouts. I look behind in surprise, only to see Gale in an orange suit, wearing a helmet that looks similar to a Peacekeeper's, only that it has an orange visor. He holds a gun with a small cylinder connected to it, like a flame thrower. But I think this one sprays water. "You're back!" I say. "What are you doing here?" "I work as a fireman now, to extinguish blazes and so on. It's the third blaze in District 12 this month. I think the scorching weather is not helping. This fire looks big. We'll need all the help we can get." Somehow the thought of him inventing the weapons that killed my sister doesn't register in my mind. "OK. Where do I start?" I say. Just as Gale opens his mouth, a scream cuts through the smoky air.

"My baby! Oh no!" a woman as hysterical as Anne Cresta in the Reaping of the 75th Hunger Games breaks out from the crowd that is gathering around some burning buildings. Haymitch, who has somehow sobered up leaps out and pulls her away from the fierce flames. "Ma'm, it's dangerous! You're gonna get burnt. Let the firemen do their job, and they'll try to save your baby." he tried to console her. But the lady is sobbing non-stop and screaming endlessly for her child. It takes Gale and two others to help Haymitch to bring her out of harm's way. She is literally hitting Haymitch as he attempts to shush her. But my mind's not paying attention to that. Faint memories of that inferno, that made a burn on my calf and nearly caused me to be captured by the Careers sweep through my head. I can almost feel that burn morph on my leg out of the blue. But I don't break down as I have always done when such hated memories come to me. I know what to do.

"Gale!" I shout. He turns to me. I point at the flaming door. "Cover me." Gale's eyebrows raise so high. "Katniss, it's too dangerous! You're going-" This is where I snap. "Hey, look here Mr. Fireman. If you are not going to let me, the Mockingjay, or should I say ex-Mockingjay, as the war's bloody over, save a poor kid, then you better have the guts to collect his ashes by tomorrow!" Gale's face is turned into a mixture of fear, confusion and admiration. There's no time to lose. "OK, you'll go in, Catnip. Want a mask?" I nod and take one from him.

"Alright guys, keep clear. The Mockingjay's coming through!" Gale's rough voice sets the firemen cheering and shouting. Some in the crowd do the same. "Hey, just call me Catnip next time, OK?" I shout as he extinguishes the flames picking at the grey doorway with a blast from his tool. Then I plunge into the inferno with my face protected by the special mask Gale gave me.

I am astonished at how placid and cool am I. I thought the sight of flames would set me screaming with fear. But instead I laugh as I climb the blackish stairs and reach the first floor which looks like hell on earth. What used to be supposedly terrazzo floor is reduced to brimstone and flaming coal. Searing fragments constantly rain down and a few almost hit me. But I dodge them in time, only to see the remains of an electrical toaster blow up in front of me, sending sparks into my face. I have to release a shriek as I fall backwards awkwardly to the damaged wooden floorboards. Thankfully, they don't give way. I get up quickly and take a few deep breaths mentally, as the air here is worse than the air in the coal mines.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I shout. At first, nothing but the crackling and the roar of flames answers me. Then, out of the blue, a childish voice that almost emulates Prim's voice comes out from a nearby room. "Help me!" it screams. I look and see that the door to that room is locked. One kick turns it into smithereens. I take of my jacket and rush into the room. A young girl as young as Rue with brown skin and dark hair is crouching under a piano. For a moment, I could actually picture my friend Madge attempting to survive the destruction of the fire bombs dropped during the bombing of District 12 by hiding under the piano she used to play when I visit her. Coincidentally, they found her ashes in the piano room. Music doesn't always save you the men said.

"Are you OK?" I yell over the roaring flames. The child shivers with fear. Probably the strange mask I'm wearing is freaking her out. "It's alright. My name's Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. The Girl on Fire. You know me?" A flicker of recognition mixes with the fear in her eyes. She nods, anyway. "Good. What's your name?" "Sarah." the trembling girl says. "That's a beautiful name." I say. I wrap her in my father's jacket to protect her from the heat, which seems hotter than the inferno back in the Games. "I'm going to get you out of here. But you've got to be brave, Sarah. OK?" I say. "OK." she says in a small voice.

With that, I scoop her up and hurry out of the room, which is now being consumed by the wicked flames. But when we come to the stairs I get a rude shock. What used to be the stairs is now a heap of charred wood and broken marble. Well, it could be worse, as the building could have been higher than three stories. But this building is only two stories high, thankfully. Probably an old one, covered with coal dust and ready to be set ablaze anytime by the tiniest cinder. But I know I'll have to make a free-fall. "There's no stairs for us to go down, but I'll get you down," I say to the scared child. "We'll jump, just like a bird does before it flies away. But we aren't going to fly, are we?" To our surprise, we both laugh rather heartily for such a situation. Then we jump.

We tumble on the ash covered floor that are sprinkled with fragments of glass and wood. I try to compress a yelp from my mouth when a few shards pierce my leg. But I try not to show my pain as I have to be strong for Sarah. She just reminds me so much of Rue. I can't let her get toasted by the fire. It would be worse than a spear thrown by Marvel. I look at the door and horror comes to me when all I see is another heap of flaming debris, looking somewhat like the door to hell. A nearby door is virtually blown apart and flames surge in from the gaping hole. That is when I see the melting label above what used to be the door. It says 'wine store'.

"Nightlock." I say and leap for Sarah. I rip off my mask, force it on her face as she starts screaming and push her to the ground, covering her small body with mind to shield her from the blast of flames that's sure to follow.

The explosion that follows is what I have been expecting.

**Don't worry! I didn't end it yet! Read on...**


	3. Chapter 3: The Mockingjay

Chapter 3

Peeta's story

"You have arrived at District 12." a pleasant automated voice comes out from a hidden speaker in the train. At last we have reached home. I stretch and yawn before getting up from my seat. It's been a long trip from District 4. A few days ago, I went there to visit Anne who is having a baby, named after his father for short, Finn. When I came to her lovely house at the sandy beach of District 4, she was really happy, singing to her child. How I wish Katniss could be really joyful like that. All she does nowadays is to stay at home, mourning for Prim or being harassed by nightmares when she dozes off. Or going to the woods to hunt on exceptionally bad days. But she doesn't shoot a deer. One time when I was looking for some root for a bread mixture I was making, I went further into the woods and saw her punching an oak tree with her bare bloody hands. She was screaming 'I'll kill you Snow! I'll kill you Gale!'. I thank the skies that Gale wasn't anywhere near at that time.

I tried to pacify her and calm her nerves. She just started crying. Tears came down in torrents and she just said 'Prim' over and over again. Poor Katniss, who saved me from a slow painful death by going for that feast in the Games. I had to carry her back because she just wouldn't budge. At least she seemed OK when I left District 12. She didn't want to go and see Anne although I invited her to. I guess when people mourn, they do it for a long time.

I take my bag and step off the train. I walk briskly to my bakery first to check things out since I've been gone for some time. It's still new, only three months old, from the time they laid the last brick. However, when I open the door, I see nobody except for the shelves of baked goods and Joseph, one of the assistants I hired recently. "Where's everyone?" I ask. Usually there would be lots of customers about buying bread or cheese buns. Cheese buns, Katniss's favourite. Perhaps I should get some for her later. She never refuses them.

Joseph, a man of a few words, just says 'arh' and points at a crumpled heap of ashes and smoldering rubble across the road. It looks worse than the burnt bread I tossed to Katniss the first time I saw her. "Another fire?" I say in disbelief. "Great. I've got to go." I leave my bag at the counter and rush to the crowd that is gathering around the remains of the charred building. Firemen are squirming around, carrying tools, burn victims, stretchers and a hysterical woman screaming 'my baby, my baby'. In fact, two have to carry her while another attempts to pacify her softly. I feel bad for her and hope her child has somehow been rescued by the firemen.

Then I see Gale Hawthorne in a fireman's gab, minus the helmet. He's scrambling through the blackish wreckage, shouting "Katniss! Katniss!" Katniss? The Girl on Fire? Did she purposely burnt the house down on her so that she could escape from her sorrows? Did she went visiting and somehow the kitchen blew up? Did she saw the fire in the first place and came in to save somebody? In my heart, I hope it's the third option that contributed to her being in a fire. "Gale!" I shout. He turns, perplexed. "What's happened?" I say rather breathlessly. "She went into the house when it was a fire to save a kid and all of a sudden it just blew! Damn the bloody alcohol stored there. Good thing it wasn't Haymitch's house that was on fire or else the entire Seam would have been vaporised in a thrice! With all that white wine! But now I don't know whether Katniss made it with the kid! This G-" He stops short in his oath, only to yell "Catnip! Catnip!" I don't shout frantically like him, but I rush over to the hand that is pocking out of a heap of rubble. I quickly start clearing rubble from the top. I don't care about the sharp splinters that make mini-cuts on my hands. Several strong men come to help me.

Within minutes, we have successfully cleared a lot of the wreckage to save the poor survivor. I hope he or she is still breathing. Wait a second...it's a she. It's Katniss.

The Girl on Fire, the Mockingjay lays motionless on the ground. Her dirt face and her ash-covered, but still smooth braid reminds me of her being airlifted by the hovercraft from the arena before I was captured. Her clothes are torn and blackened in twenty different places. Her eyes are closed, making her look as if she were sleeping. She looks better when she sleeps. At least she doesn't scowl. Well, she did when I pointed it out to her during our first Games.

"Look here! What's under her?" cries a burly man wearing a singlet. I gently push Katniss off, only to reveal a crying girl wearing a fireman mask. She is wrapped in the coat I recognise as Katniss's. I get it now. Katniss actually saved a child from being killed by the fire. The debris that could have killed the weak child injured Katniss instead. She sacrificed her mask for the child so that she would not be suffocated by the lack of oxygen and breath in the poisonous gas released by the flames. No sacrifice and act of courage could be greater than this. Besides, Katniss was still afraid of flames when I left to visit Anne. She refused to go near a candle lit in a thrift shop near the station.

Gale lifts the child up from Katniss's battered body. The hysterical owman I saw earlier appears on the scene. The look that comes on her face is priceless when she sees her child, well and alive. "Sarah!" she screams with a mother's love bursting from her lips. "Mommy!" the child squeals as Gale carries her to the woman. For a moment or two, they both just hug each other and cry. "I thought you were dead! But who saved you?" she says. Then they turn towards Katniss, who is being lifted onto a stretcher. "The Mockingjay." the child says in a broken voice.


	4. Chapter 4:A Strange Dream

Chapter 4

**Over back to Katniss, for now...**

I find myself in a green meadow filled with dandelions and daisies. A familiar bird flies past me. I am surprise to see that it is a mockingjay. What is it doing here, of all places? I forget to ask myself what is this place. I get up and decide to have a look around this fabulous place.

Everywhere I step, furry gentle creatures gambol away or scamper to me. A white rabbit hops towards me with its cute long ears waving oddly and brown eyes twinkling. I gingerly reach out to touch it. Then I hear the bleating of a goat. I look to my right and I am astonished to see Lady, Prim's old goat that was killed in the bombing. I used to wish that Buttercup, the ugly cat, was fried by the bombs instead. After all, he wasn't the one providing milk every day.

I have never seen a more peaceful and lovely creature like Lady. I had never taken a fancy to animals before except for that crazy lynx that followed me all day when I started hunting with Gale and that young deer I shot. But now, I admit I do. Nothing stops me from going to her and feeling the soft velvety neck of Lady. Another sound catches my attention and then I see her.

"Prim!" I cry. "Katniss!" my sister calls out. I've never seen her so happy, joyful and well before. She looked so different than the last time I saw her before she was turned into ashes by the bombs. The unmistakable duck tail is still there. I just run to her and hug her so tightly, not wanting to let go of the sister I missed very much. "I'm so sorry. So sorry. I couldn't save you." I say as tears come. "It's alright Katniss. I'm happy here, with Rue and dad." "They are here?" I say, astonished and happy at the same time. "Yes." Prim says. "The other Tributes like Cato and the rest are also here. But you should see Cato. He's a little skinny nowadays." I just laugh and cry at the same time and hug her.

But Prim has other ideas. She looks to her left and says, "I think you should meet with Him." "Who's Him? Is it dad?" I say. "Quite close." Prim says. I look and I see a figure so bright that I am nearly blinded. He must be standing in front of the sun, to be releasing light that is almost killing me. But I can see his handsome face. Finnick's smile would never contest the smile on that glowing face anytime. The man's eyes are so blue that they want to make you laugh and gasp at the same time. They are just filled with so much...love. That's how I can describe it.

His smile just makes me tremble, with a strange unearthly feeling erupting in me. I have never seen such a person before. "Who are you?" I ask. The man does not answer me. Instead, he reaches out his hands for me to see. My eyes widen when I see the wounds on his hands, looking as if Clove had been working on them with her knife. But the deepness of the wounds seem to remind me of nails. "Who are you?" I repeat. Then a bright flash of light overcomes my vision and I feel really sleepy...

When I come to, my eyes are so heavy with slumber that I can't open them. But I can hear sounds and voices. I can hear a kind of monitor making some beeping noises next to me. Someone seems to be seating next to me. He's talking very quietly. I think I can hear him say, "she's waking up now, I think." I try to open my eyes to look around me, but I do so very slowly. Somebody must have put my body to sleep. But then I manage to.

The first person I see is Peeta. He smiles at me. "Hey, Katniss." he says in a voice that gives me some warmth. I try to sit up, but my body is not working. I cannot move a thing. Except my mouth, thankfully. "I can't move." I say. "Yeah, because your body went into shock because of the debris and wreckage that hit you." Peeta says gravely. "But you're fine. You should be out of here in a week." "A week? It's a long time." I say. He presses a button near my bed, which raises me into a sitting position. "Yeah. You have been out for a week too. You must be hungry." Peeta says. "I brought something for you." As he rummages in a bag, I look around gingerly. It's a big ward, and I'm not the only patient in here. Good, at least they'll not be lonely at night when I'm screaming away from my nightmares. Three other white pristine beds are located around the room. One is not occupied, but the other two are. A thin youth on the first bed that looks younger than me is reading a magazine. The second bed holds a very familiar person, with a beard about two days old and messy hair. He's also reading a book titled _How To be An Alcoholic and Yet Not Get Drunk. _

"Haymitch?" I say, surprised. He looks at me and grins a wry grin at me. "Oh, it's you, Katniss. Done knocking yourself out?" "Hey, you said that to me in the hovercraft when you took me out of the arena!" I declare with a scowl. He smirks and says,"Yeah, maybe. Don't worry, girl. The kid you saved is well and kicking. And too noisy, I must say. At least she didn't wake you up, because you were too knocked out." With that he starts laughing pretty hard until he starts coughing. "What's happened to you?" I ask curiously. "Just a little accident, involving Buttercup and the new car I got." "You got drunk?" I ask.

"Sort of. You see, my driving instructor's on the bottle like me. Halfway through my driving lesson, he offers me a drop. Turns out that Buttercup was taking a stroll across the road at the same time and I avoided him in time. But we went into a tree. You know the rest." He points to his left leg in a plaster. "And it was only after I helped out at that fire." The thought of my miserable mentor Haymitch struggling to press the brake before he hit the tree makes me want to laugh like a lunatic so much that I have to hide under the blankets. I can't use my hands to do so, they're out of order.

Haymitch just smirks again. "Whatever. At least I'm alive, for now. But some crazy nurse put me on an alcoholic support group after she checked out my chart. Bet you I'll be a weirdo for a long time." Just then, Peeta takes out a container with some chicken porridge in it. "Want some, Haymitch?" he offers. Before he can answer, a nurse pops in and says,"Mr. Mellark, don't offer him that. It has chicken, and it'll add to his cholesterol levels, which are going to hit the ceiling. Besides," she plunks down a plate of lettuces and raw carrots in front of the gaping Haymitch. "the girl, sorry. Katniss, needs to eat up. She's quite thin. She'll need everything she can get her teeth on to gain weight." Then she disappears. As I see her go, scowling at her mentioning my body, Haymitch bursts out laughing again until his starts coughing. Then he turns miserable, so miserable that I have to laugh. My turn to make fun of him at his expense.

"Great. A whole pile of raw vegetables. It'll never go down." he groans as he nibbles on a not so delectable leaf.


	5. Chapter 5: Porridge with Peeta Mellark

Chapter 5

Peeta smiles as Haymitch force himself to swallow the rubbery carrots. He turns to me and hands me a spoon. "Katniss, can you hold this and eat?" he says gently. I don't know whether my hands can work. At least they aren't bandaged. No wounds on them, I guess. But the moment I touch the spoon he hands to me, I realize that I'm in big trouble. My fingers feel like jelly after such a long period of inactivity. "Peeta, I can't hold the spoon." I say curtly, frustrated at my failure to do such a simple thing.

Peeta looks concerned. "Never mind. I'll feed you." If I weren't strapped to a bed, I would have said, "Seriously? I'm not a baby!" But instead, I nod silently. The next few minutes are rather idyllic. It's been a long time I was feed by Peeta since the time I was injured at the Games and he fed me grosling. He feeds me spoonful by spoonful, slowly as he did in the Games. The porridge he must have cooked tastes different. Perhaps he put in some grosling, maybe?

When I've eaten enough, he wipes my mouth and keeps the container. He takes my hands into his and looks at me in the eye. I would have start feeling uncertain and confused if he did this before. But instead, I feel delightfully warm inside me. "Katniss?" he asks in a sort voice. "Yes?" I say. "Why did you save that girl?" I think he expects me to give an answer that concerns Rue or Prim. But I say, "I was there and someone had to do something. You would too, if you were there." "It was dangerous. You could have been killed," Peeta says. "Besides, you told me once that you were afraid of fire." That was true. A few weeks ago, I was taken ill and Peeta had to come over to take care of me because Greasy Sae was out of the district for some tradespeople seminar. Day by day, he was there with a bowl of steaming broth to warm my deprived stomach or a basin to be ready when I started retching. He was there, his hand holding mine, when I started hallucinating and seeing things at midnight. I would say things that I would normally keep to myself, like my fear of fire. After all, it was the monster that ate Prim.

"Yes. But I guess when I see that I have to save someone, my fear just vanishes." I say it, secretly astonished that I have managed to say such a thing without a tear in my eyes. I feel brittle, but Strong inside me. I guess all that fighting, tearing down Snow's backyard in the rebellion, and the Hunger Games, kind of toughened me up. But I guess there are worse games to play for those parts.

I am taken aback when he asks me gravely, "But what if you didn't make it in that fire? Like I said, it was dangerous. You could have been killed..." his voice trails away. Emotion is cracking up his voice. "I know. But someone had to do something." I say tenderly. I life my weak hand and put it at his cheek. It feels soft, after months of recovery and rest from such torment. "You know I can't live without you." Peeta says. I draw my head close to him. "I know. Me too." I say and I lean in. When my lips meet his, that sense of want that I experienced when we kissed in the cave returns to me. I kiss Peeta slowly, but hungrily. He doesn't resist me and savours every kiss with enthusiasm. We only stop when we here a voice. "To the guy called Haymitch or whatever, please stop the two lovebirds from ruining my book." It's the young guy at the end of the ward. Haymitch grins and turns to us. Peeta breaks away and says, "You need to rest, Katniss." I settle back onto the bed comfortably, just as the nurse comes back with a bottle of sleep syrup. But I don't need it as I find that I am exhausted all of a sudden. As the nurse removes Haymitch's plate and praises him for emptying his scanty plate (Peeta secretly ate half of it earlier to help Haymitch, as usual), I turn to look at his healthy features and content face. As I find myself sinking into the world of slumber, I whisper to him, "Stay with me, Peeta."

"Always." he whispers back as everything darkens gently.


	6. Chapter 6: Adieu to a hunting friend

Chapter 6

Throughout my recovery, Peeta visits me constantly, with the girl I saved, Sarah. She is a princess to me, like her name. We exchange giggles and tickles, easing the pain of my wounds, inside and outside. Her company repairs the holes in my heart left by the death of Prim and Rue. She's almost like them, except that the two were with me in my greatest trials. But I was her savior in the blaze, rescuing her from suffering Prim's death.

The day comes when the bruises and burns on my hands and legs are reduced to mere scratches and scars. My strength has returned to me. But I gingerly walk out of the hospital with Peeta, unsure whether my legs can work as well as they used to. Fortunately, they do, until I see someone who knows me very well. And that someone was yelling at me not to go into that blaze to save that kid. "Gale." I say in a low voice. Well, my legs don't give way. But they seem to be in the danger of doing so, if it were not for Peeta who holds my left hand firmly, but not roughly. I don't know why I'm feeling anxious when Gale pops around. I guess the memory of that time being fed by Peeta in the hospital somehow did not go too well with the memories of hunting with Gale in my mind.

"Hey, Catnip." he grins, not aware about my true inner feelings. Peeta senses my worries and says, "Hey, Gale. It's good to meet you here. But Katniss's tired and she is just back from the hospital, and I think she should be going home to rest." Gale looks rather emotionless. I look at him and notice he is wearing a khaki uniform, with the seal of Panem on the top pocket of his shirt and on his right side. His left side boasts the seal of District 12. He is carrying a rather sizable backpack, with some yellowish parchments sticking out of a pocket and something like a rifle is attached to the backpack by the means of a strap. He looks as if he is going to wreck havoc in Snow's backyard again, like we did in the Rebellion. "Well, I just came to say goodbye." he says.

"You are going? To where?" I ask, surprised. Gale came back to District 12 to arrange things for the new Fire Department here. He told me a few days after he came back that his 'fancy' job was to be the commander of the Expeditionary Force. It seems that Paylor, the new President of Panem is interested in history, especially with the wars and happenings that led to the formation of Panem. The researchers in the ancient archives and libraries all over Panem found a such a good deal of documents about North America, our country's old name, that Paylor decided that maybe the countries that existed before Panem's time still exist. Well, with the mention of nukes being used in the wars long ago, according to Gale, I'll bet that they'll be reduced to hiding inside bunkers and underground hovels as District 13 did.

"I told you, right? To the unknown." Gale says rather carelessly. Peeta raises an eyebrow. Gale has told him about this too. "What do you think you will find?" he asks. "Something like District 13 in the heyday of President Snow? A Wrecks of cities with the absence of living souls? It's hard to imagine now." he sighs. Suddenly, I'm afraid for him. I'm afraid that my old hunting partner will go away and never come back. Even though Peeta's always at my side, without Gale, we'll be missing something all right. "Paylor's made me the leader of the Expeditionary Force. I guess I'll have a very important role now." he laughs as if it weren't.

"Anyway, goodbye." Gale says suddenly. "I have a train to catch." One look at his eyes tells me he's disappointed that he's going to leave without anyone saying a good farewell. As he turns to leave, I grab his hand. His clever hands that could craft ingenious traps and ensnare me in an embrace. "Don't leave yet." I say in the same voice I used when I told Peeta I wanted to go home in the Hunger Games. "Please, don't go." I say again. "What if you will never come back again?" I ask. My throat is feeling rather hard and dry.

Peeta goes to him. He takes his other hand. "Hey, Gale. You've been a good friend to Katniss, and me when I was hijacked. We'll miss you badly, with you not around in 12." Gale just laughs. "I know, Catnip. I know, Peeta. But my bones are aching for something more than hunting in the woods. Something more exciting. And besides, I can serve a country that's worth living in."

There's one thing to miss someone that you know, and it's another thing to worry whether he is coming back anymore. To Gale's and Peeta's surprise, I give Gale a crushing hug. "If you have to go, take care, Gale. Don't forget me." For a moment, his jaws are hanging open. He doesn't expect me to react like that after what I have done by choosing Peeta and accusing him for murdering my sister. But not a fragment of the memories of his so-called crafted bombs burning Prim to ashes remains in my mind. "I won't. I hope you won't either." he says.

It is my turn to be surprised when Peeta steps up to him and grasps his hand in a friendly way. "We won't. You'll be Gale to us, no matter how far away you are." he says in a tone that tells me that he knows that Gale has been playing a major role in our lives, in the Games (taking care of Prim) and during the Rebellion (keeping me safe for Peeta). "Good to know that, Peeta." Gale grins warmly and shakes his hand.

"The train to District 4 will be arriving in ten minutes." an automated voice exits the nearby train station. "It's my train. I have to go, Catnip. We'll be heading to the unknown by boat." Gale says. That is when I finally let go off my old hunting partner and friend. "Bye, Gale." I say with tears in my eyes. Peeta nods quietly, his blue eyes emitting the same message. Gale grins and disappears into the crowd of passengers that is forming outside the station. Peeta and I wait until the automated voice speaks once more. "The train to District 4 will be leaving in one minute." Soon after that, the train, looking like the one we traveled in on the Victory Tour departs silently and cleanly, with a sound as loud as a cat's purr.

"Let's go home, Katniss." I turn to look at the face of the boy with the bread. His blue eyes are ever calm and forgiving. I have the urge to say something and the warning from my inner soul not to give in to that urge. But I do anyway. "I'm sorry, Peeta." Peeta looks rather confused. "For what?" I feel really awkward at this point. "Err, you know..." my voice trails away. "Don't worry," Peeta says gently. "he was your friend. You had to say goodbye."

"Yeah." I say, before we both head home.


	7. Chapter 7: Nightmare strikes

Chapter 7

I'm in the bloody Capitol again. I am clad in my Mockingjay suit and armed with my famous bow. The crowd of little kids, serving as human shields for that monster Snow, makes me want to scream a thousand oaths at the misbegotten traitorous bloodsuckers that put them there in the first place. Then I see the medics rushing in, with my sister Prim among them. The back of her dress is tucked into a duck's tail as usual. But I know where is this all going to lead.

"Prim!" I scream. But my voice doesn't get to her. I spot huge shadows looming in the skies, with the unmistakable parachutes tied to them. Without a moment's hesitation, I leap towards her in a storm of terror and horror. I knock her down and cover her petite body with mine on top, just as the bombs are landing with an almighty orchestra of explosions, accompanied with an all encompassing inferno. I feel as if I am being barbecued alive like that cow at that feast in the Capitol on the Victory Tour. My skin transforms to charred bits of matter and my hair is reduced to ashes. The Mockingjay suit is as heat resistant as paper, as the flames lick at it with a never-ending relish. Then I notice that the soul beneath me is not Prim, but Cato, that bloody cannibalistic Career. OK, he's not a human-eating beast, but you get the idea.

I find myself as weak as I was when I was starving at the back of the baker's, when Peeta first saw me. The fire must have licked away every ounce of adrenaline in my veins. The months of mental torment with the absence of Peeta and the challenger that were not normal for a teenage girl, which I had to face, obviously does not make matters less worse. Cato looks as scary and barbaric as he had always been since he killed that tribute from Three with one twist of his neck. He pulls out a blade, a cruel and bright one. "Want to blow Lover Boy one final kiss." he leers in a sinister manner. Then he lunges at me and I scream until my vocal chords blow.

"I can't take it anymore!" Without realising that I had woken up from another hellish dream, I throw away the blankets and run to the bathroom. My rage at such injustice, such unfairness, life shows to an ordinary teenage girl like me, reaches its climax. Deep inside, my grief and sorrow at Prim's and Rue's death at my failure to rescue them and the thousands of lives lost in the rebellion pulls my soul into a deep abyss deep within. This hellish mixture of the worst emotions are going to make me sick to no end.

I barely make it to the toilet bowl before I start throwing up. Oh well, there goes yesterday's lunch, tea, dinner and supper and who knows what else. Without wiping the vomit from my nasty mouth, I just run out of the house to Peeta's. I don't know why I do so, but I do it. The door is already open, with Peeta just stepping out. He must have heard my bloodcurdling scream earlier. The moment I reach him, I just collapse into his arms, sobbing. "I can't take it anymore! That's enough!" I gasp. Peeta just hugs me tight as I cry it out. I am faintly aware that we are out in the open, and that no one, but Haymitch can hear us.

It takes half an hour for Peeta to clam me down thoroughly and he takes me back to my house. The mental and visual agony I suffered from those brutal nightmares has me trembling all over. I can do nothing, but cling to Peeta and shut my eyes as tightly as I can. He has to carry me to my bed and smoothen the crumpled and untidy bed sheets before he lays me on the soft mattress. "I can't go to sleep again." I say at last. "Those dreams...I'm scared." It's not the first time Peeta's involved in putting my bedtime fears to rest. It could have been worse.

There was this one time that Haymitch got abhorrently drunk and broke into my house to have a glimpse of Peeta making out with me. He was just assuring me that President Snow wouldn't make Prim suffer, though she's gone, when he burst in, screaming 'what's in the oven'. Not fully recovered from such a nightmare, I got aggravated and before Peeta could stop me...well, Haymitch ended up being chased by me...and Peeta. He was provoked too, as Haymitch was not having a stitch of clothing on his body that night. Serves Haymitch right. He didn't dare to buy a single bottle of the mildest alcohol for a week, in fear that I would burst into the wine shop and skewer his throat with an arrow for his drunkenness.

"You need your rest. It's been a long day. I'll be here. Always." Peeta says gently. To ease all the pain inside me, Peeta kisses me. Warmth channels from his lips throughout my whole body. I kiss him back with such intensity that every bad memory, every image of bloodshed and murder I had been forced to witness, every injustice and brutality vanish like a miss. I close my eyes and they temporarily disappear. All I know is Peeta's kiss and we fall into a deep restful slumber.


	8. Chapter 8: Paylor needs help?

Chapter 8

I wake up to the smell of baked bread and cheese buns. I push the covers aside and get out of bed gingerly. I get up and head downstairs. Peeta is putting down a tray of fresh bakery bread and cheese buns. Cheese buns. My favourite. "Good morning, Katniss." he beams. "Good morning." I say and yawn. I go to him and kiss him on the lips. I kiss him until he's breathless. He laughs and says, "Wow. That was...great." It is my turn to laugh next.

We spent the next hour munching on soft cheese buns and of course, kissing. Clearly, yesterday's sleep has left me starving for bread and kisses. We don't realise that we have left the back door open until I hear a rough but straight voice saying, "Done knocking Peeta up?" I stop kissing Peeta, but my lips still touch his. Two sets of eyes turn to see Haymitch grinning. "Well, doesn't matter. Anyway, Paylor's called to say that there's urgent matters in the Capitol. And she needs your help. I mean, mine and yours, you two. But it's very urgent. Top secret. And you two have to go now!" he roars before dashing out of the house. That is when I notice that he is carrying a case behind him. "When are we leaving?" asks Peeta.

"Now!" he says as he disappears out of the Victor's Village.

A few minutes later, I and Peeta grab our bags and head to the train station. Haymitch is downing a bottle of beer. "The train's running late." he says in a distasteful voice. Just then, it comes along with a quite purr, as trains always do. We go inside and an attendant politely ushers us to our rooms. "Wait a minute...is this our old Tribute Train?" I ask. Some ornaments and compartments, they look quite similar with those of the train Peeta and I used to travel on to the Games. And then I see someone very familiar. Someone who used to talk, share, laugh and joke with me over bowls of hot soup at Greasy Sae's stall. Someone who used to serve me at the Quarter Quell. "Darius? It that you?" I jump to hug him tightly. "Katniss! You look great! You too, Peeta." Darius speaks out of the blue.

"You can speak!" Peeta says excitedly. Darius talks as if his tongue had never been severed before. "Yes. Dr. Aurilius used stem cells, which are some regenerative things found in the navel cord cut from babies when they are born, to regenerate the tongues of the Avoxes. Now we can talk again!" he says triumphantly. "I thought you didn't make it." I exclaim. "Lavinia and I were knocked out for a long time until the rebels captured the Capitol. Many other Avoxes survived too." "Where do you live now?" Peeta asks. "In District 11. I'm sure you know Johanna. She helped me and Lavinia to get new jobs and to start afresh. And Lavinia and I are getting married soon! You three will be my VIP guests!" he says, addressing us including Haymitch who is stumbling in at this moment. He looks pretty disillusioned. "Good night, everyone." he gets out before crashing onto a nearby couch. At least he starts snoring as soon his head hits the cushions and he's not puking, for once. "Just like Haymitch." I say.

When we arrive at the sparkling station of the Capitol, a convoy of Peacekeepers together with Plutarch Heavensbee awaits us. "Hey, Katniss. Good to have you here once more." "It's a long time." I say. Just then, a Capitol resident, a young woman with bright pink hair like Effie's takes one look at me and cries, "It's Katniss! The Mockingjay!" Plutarch rolls his eyes and groans, "Let's go. Now." We have only enough time to get into the car before a great crowd gathers, calling out my name. "Hey, I didn't know that I am so famous here. I thought I was the one that brought fire and brimstone to the Capitol." I say. Haymitch says, "The Mockingjay will always be the Mockingjay, wherever she goes in Panem. You are a legend, after all." He takes a swig from his case of whiskey and smirks.

Legend? You call a murderer of young kids a legend? I have failed too many people and slaughtered too many individuals who were desperate to survive like Marvel or Glimmer. You must be really drunk, Haymitch. But I don't voice it out aloud. I turn to Plutarch and ask, "Why Paylor needs us?" "Well, to be frank, she's giving you three the chance to do something different other than bake cakes, get drunk and fight bears. AND getting lovestruck." The reference to bears must have been derived from the time when he actually dropped in at my house when Peeta was around and I came in, wounded from a fight with another bear. It was over the rights for a clump of berries this time, not for a sticky bee hive, oozing with honey. As for the lovestruck issue, I suppose Haymitch's telling too much to the ex-Gamemaker.

We pull up at a tall white building where President Paylor is waiting, with two Peacekeepers armed to the teeth as her bodyguards. "Welcome back to the Capitol." she beams. I can't really agree I'm glad to, although Snow is gone. Anyway, Peeta asks, "What's the task?" "It's not much of a task, really. It's more of an observation." Observation? I frown.

Minutes later, we find ourselves in a dusty room with an open trapdoor. "Oh, this is what made you so curious about Panem's history!" I wonder aloud. Paylor looks at me in a strange way. "Gale told you? I'm not surprised." "What did he tell you?" Haymitch says, looking confused. Gale only told Peeta and I of his mission at the station. As far as I know, Haymitch was getting hooked on beer at the same time as far as I'm concerned. I briefly tell him everything, and he grins. "Lands before Panem's time, eh? Maybe if Gale arrives there, he'll find a whole cave or mountain of whiskey!" He starts laughing very hard. "That's not funny!" Paylor scolds. "Nukes were used back then. Maybe we will find whisky-in the form of ashes or mutts. Here's what that proves it." She opens the trapdoor and hauls out a whole bunch of mouldy dusty documents. "A cleaner found this. Goodness knows that chance came upon us. Locked with what used to be a prototype of our present electronic lock systems, but Bettee cracked it. It uses a small nuclear battery to power the lock. We've never seen anything like that before. Nuclear powering ordinary things? Absurd."

"It originates from a time before Panem, I guess. The time when encroaching seas threatened and people fought for what remaining resources. And the result was Panem, which was governed by the Capitol, encircled by thirteen districts." Panem says rather dreamily. "Yes. Take a look at these photos. Must be the collection of the first President of Panem. Yes, I see it is! Here's a name-President Johnson of Panem..." her voice trails off as she pulls out more dusty papers from the trapdoor.

We spent the next few hours being engrossed with papers, photos, documents and whatnot. Haymitch, drunk as usual, is whistling a funny tune that reminds me of a drinking song. Photos of ministers, names like George Bush, Bill Clinton and Abraham Lincoln and pictures of a green lady holding a torch, bearing the label 'the Statue of Liberty', a big White House with a flag in front of it and a memorabillia object, which is the picture of a clownish man in front of a bright looking eating place with the name 'McDonalds' on top of the door.

I realize that what I am looking at is what had been North America. It used to be a happy place, where people were satisfied, proud of their home and safe. I see many smiles on many photos, with the North American kids of old relishing ice cream in the sunshine. Sunshine. Boasting of Peeta's favorite orange color. Then the photos changed. I see rows of khaki-dressed troops with guns, looking unlike the stern placid uniform of the Peacekeepers, marching to battle. More pictures follow, what with military aircraft looking more beautiful and sleeker than our hovercrafts, in a way, and odd-looking bombs on metal carts. Then I see the horror of the destruction caused by North America's army-people burnt to the bone, lying all over the blood sodden ground.

Just then, Haymitch yawns. "I need to go to the restroom." he grunts and disappears out of the room. I continue looking at the photos, mesmerized by the gruesome story behind them.


	9. Chapter 9: The Truth about History

Chapter 9

I continue looking at the photos. More gruesome pictures of the once happy people, being turned into bony skeletons and torn pieces of meat. Blood is everywhere, with yellow tags on the spots. Then I see a label on another file of photos which says 'Biological Weapons Reintroduced'. Then I see more ghastly horrors. Mere children curl up on the streets, screaming their lungs out as gigantic boils break out from their hands, legs, armpits and groin. These photos are colored, and a green mist similar to that one back at the arena lingers in the background. A masked soldier carrying a short cannon makes his way through crowds of innocent people, who are writhing in agony. A forsaken baby is pictured sitting among the dead, wailing for his mother, who has been decapitated by a giant wolf opening its jaws to crunch the baby into smithereens. The tag on the photo reads: The First Mutt.

I start to feel faint and Peeta grabs hold of me just in time before I am in the danger of swooning. "It is terrible." I whisper. "Yes. That was what led to the formation of Panem. Here, take a look." What next, waves swallowing people by the thousands? Fiery-breathing mountains incinerating the elderly as they attempt in vain to escape their fragile home? Giant wolves crunching human bones with their iron jaws? The horrors of sending children to die in the arena in the heyday of the Hunger Games cannot be compared to the heart-wrenching looks of those who had never committed themselves to war when they are suffocated by toxins, pierced by bullets and fried by the inferno of rockets. Even the North American soldiers, the ones who still have that spark of humanity left, are pictured crying out to the heavens above, their faces twisted horrendously.

I peep at the document Peeta gives me. It's like a diary entry, but a serious one. It's stamped with the seal of Panem. The document reads:

_Citizens of Panem,_

_If this document is being read now, it means that I have gone, to be replaced by another President. I hope that he will be a better leader than I was. It has been many happy years for this fruitful country, where no stomach goes empty and no tears are found on faces. The purpose I write this document is to tell of the history of our nation, which many will forget._

_Long ago, this world was a great place to live in. Everyone could build the life of their dreams and have great families. But because of the evil and greedy schemes of leaders who only wanted more, the entire world was torn apart. The old countries and empires of the United States and Russia, manipulated by their money-eyed and voracious leaders decided to go to war to decide who would control everything. People, resources that made sure we could enjoy life, technology, everything. The leaders just wanted everything. So they sent out young men away from their families, far away from their homes to fight and die so-called for their country. It was as they say, young men fighting old men's war. Eventually, when the weak and sick were only left, with the strong ones all rotting on the battlefield, they turned to cruel weapons like nuclear bombs and mutts, monsters that could tear every flesh in your bodies. But in reality, they were the real monsters. And those who suffered and paid for their folly, their mistakes, their rash decisions were of course, the people. I do not need to name the horrors that fell on the innocent civilians who never held guns in their lives. Then another terror came-from Mother Nature. Tainted with the blood of millions and polluted by the toxin of a thousand bombs, waves rose and swallowed the lands that had nourished us and more people died. Earthquakes gobbled mere kids just like that. I saw my brothers perish in that way with my own eyes. _

_I was born in an era of misery and pain. And I realised one day that we must fight back, and reclaim this land of ours. But its name would no longer be North America, but Panem-meaning bread. For it is our nourishment from the very beginning of the world. So, I rallied a group to form the Peacekeepers, to oust the evil leaders of our nation, who only care for their stomachs and wealth. Once that was done, in a quick motion, we sent hundreds of hovercraft to disable the enemy across the sea, crippling every nuclear silo and weapons depot. But we never dropped a bomb on a single town. And that was where the leaders hid and planned to strike at us._

_Knowing the enemy would never rest until we had been turned into ashes, I made the fateful decision to order the construction of the Sky Shield, a huge dome that covers the whole of the continent of America, which is now Panem, our glorious land. Most of the southern region is underwater now, but it should stay that way, for now. This shield would protect us from any attack. No one can come in-or come out. I know that it would close up our nation to the world, but out there, is danger. Many neighbouring nations have tried to convince me not to do it, but with Russia aiming its missiles at us, I had to do so for the security of Panem. At least, what land that we have now still nourishes us to the fullest._

_The only way to deactivate the shield is to strike the mockingjay at the eye. Then we will be open to a new world once more. For now, we can only hope that new benevolent leaders would have risen even out there. My time is coming to an end now. May Panem live on._

_President Johnson, Year 2050_


	10. Chapter 10: Eye of the Mockingjay

"Eye of the mockingjay? But it didn't exist yet! And the Dark Days were quite far away!" I blurt out, confused. "Maybe it's just a metaphor that he hit upon." says Peeta. Just then, Haymitch comes in. He's not holding a bottle of booze this time. It's an ice cream cone. "Hey, guess what I found. A statue of the mockingjay! It's near Paylor's office. And besides, you should see the coffee machine she has there. Awesome, with ten types of spouts and powders!" he sputters. "You can even put ice cream in your morning joe!" Paylor's face colors. "You got to my coffee machine?!" she sputters. "It was a gift from Bettee at a fundraising dinner for the Avoxes." I look closer at the ice cream in my drunken mentor's hand. "Did it come from the coffee machine?" "Exactly, sweetheart!" declares Haymitch and guffaws. Paylor turns purple with rage and I think I can understand her.

Peeta jumps in just in time before Paylor can stuff Haymitch in her coffee machine to be blended into hot black liquid, except with traces of blood. "Excuse me, I think we have something interesting here." He holds up the document. Paylor looks at it briefly and brightens up. "A shield...covering Panem. If this were true, then..." She pauses for a moment and then she looks worried. "Then we must warn Gale about the shield then! If not, they'll be crashing with a bang! Peeta, how wide is the shield?" Peeta's face loses some of its color as he peers at the document once more. "It didn't say anything!" he blurts out. I am absolutely horrified. Gale smashing into an unseen shield? Maybe it's the same kind as the one I blew apart in the Hunger Games. With the help of a lightning bolt, Bettee's wire and an arrow. "Have they already gone?" I ask nervously. "Yes, on the expeditionary sea craft The Monitor from District 4. We have to alert him on radio to warn him of the danger!" Paylor says grimly. "Come with me."

Haymitch is whisked off to the washroom to be sobered up with a bucket of cold water while we two find ourselves being led to a nondescript room not far from the trapdoor room. We find none other than Bettee and Johanna, working the radio and communications set. "Hello, Katniss. It's a long time. President Paylor, is there a problem?" he inquires, upon seeing her distress. She shakes her head and briefly tells him everything that we presently know. Without a moment's hesitation, Johanna issues a warning to Gale's boat, which is over the seas about fifty miles from the nearest District 4 port. At first, there is silence. Then Johanna silently hands me a pair of headphones. I put them on and I am relieved to here Gale's voice, alive and happy. "You stopped in time?" I ask. "Yeah. I don't see anything, but clear skies and the never ending water." This makes him so adventurous to me that I have to stifle a giggle. "Maybe we should see whether this shield can be penetrated with arrows and lightning." Bettee says. "The technology involved here is relatively more primitive than the present level. Let's give it a try."

Two hours later, Bettee, Paylor and Gale are discussing ways to cut through the shield and how to head out to the unknown. Johanna's got some food for us. Some muffins (I prefer cheese buns), fruit and some coffee (Not from Paylor's machine as Haymitch screwed it up. He's now hiding somewhere in this place from Paylor's wrath.) I don't realise that I'm actually starving after all this suspense. I take a big bite from a brown muffin. Sweet, charcoal-flavored and a little coarse. Then something hits me. I turn to Peeta, who is about to put a bright red strawberry in his mouth. "Peeta, remember Haymitch talking about a mockingjay statue near Paylor's office?" I don't expect anyone else to hear me, but four pairs of eyes including Peeta's turn to me. "Statue?" they all say together. "What did you say?" Gale says over the radio.

It takes five seconds for us to drop everything, with Johanna grabbing a portable radio to talk with Gale and make a run for the statue.


	11. Chapter 11: Bringing down the Shield

Chapter 11

I arrive there first and I am astonished at the sight of the gleaming statue of the bird. It stands in the centre of an open space, with Paylor's office on the left and the washroom on the right. Haymitch staggers out of the washroom, as drunk as a skunk. "The Capitol beers are not too bad." he sputters. "They even have gold colored ice cubes swimming in the bottles." Then he shuffles inside and I can here him vomiting his insides all out into some despicable sink. It'll take a long time for the poor cleaners to get the washroom clean again. I hope it won't be an ex-Avox that does it.

"This statue was also newly discovered, this time by the rebel soldiers when we captured the Capitol. This whole area used to be cordoned off as an antique storing space. Snow actually has a passion for old valuables. He even had a porcelain toilet bowl with gold rims." she hastens to keep herself from laughing at that pathetic monster's pastime. At least he knows how to keep himself busy when there is nothing to do, but abuse people like the Victors or drink blood-tea. I bursh my thoughts away from Snow's hobbies and I spot a thin crack at the right eye of the mockingjay. "A button?" I ask. Johanna tries to push the eye, but nothing happens or shifts. She feels around the statue's head while Peeta and I check underneath. Bettee inspects the body. "Clever. This is a masterpiece." he says. Then I look back at the crack. Something told me about a kind of key for that gap. "Any clue from the photos about President Johnson?" I ask Peeta suddenly. "No. President Johnson was a moderate and ordinary man. Most of the photos was about him and his family. There was one showing him trying to shoot a fish out of water with a bow and an arrow. Funny guy." He laughs a little.

OK, this guy knows archery, like me. That's awkward. But...wait. A key. Slot. Target. Bullseye. Force field. Bow. Arrow. Lightning. Statue. Shield. Sky. Many things rush through my head, but my gut is screaming for me to do it. I speak in a loud voice. "Get me a bow and an arrow." Everybody looks at me as if I were about to kill Paylor now and here. "What? But sweetheart, it's not the arena or the woods back at 12." says Haymitch. At last he is sobering up. But too bad he missed a lot of the action.

"Peeta said that the President knew archery. And you know how people use inspiration from their surroundings to create stuff. Like Cinna." I say. "Look at that crack. It's so small that nothing but the tip of an arrow can go inside. " "Bingo." says Bettee. Paylor immediately calls for a Peacekeeper to get a metal bow and some arrows from the guardroom. Everybody moves away from the statue in case the arrow I will send goes haywire. "Don't worry. I won't miss." I assure them. Then I put an arrow on the string and set it flying for the crack before Peeta or Haymitch can say anything.

It flew through the air and entered the crack as precise as a coin would when inserted into that snack machine at the Hob. The nylon synthetic feathers were cut clean off as the entire stick went in. For a moment, nothing happens. Then a thin ray of light is emitted from the statue's head. For a moment, I think that it is sunlight and that Paylor needs to get the holes in the roof fixed. Perhaps it is the work of rodents or bullets from the Rebellion. Two seconds later, a searing heat nearly burns me to death and I am sent flying with the others to the ground.

When I get up and brush off dust that isn't there, I am amazed to see a long stream of energy being blasted through the crumbling hole of the roof into the sky. I pull Peeta to his feet and rush outside to have a better look. Bettee is already outside, admiring the sight of the disintegrating force field. "Absolutely genius. It's breathtaking." he breathes. The shield, invisible to the naked eye, is peeling off like an onion does of the knife cutting it were also invisible. The thin pale layers of shielding drop to the ground and disappear into thin air. A rustic but sweet smell fills the air. It must be the smell of constant wear and tear, due to exposure.

"Gale, are you seeing this?" Johanna asks. "What's happening?" he asks. "It's beautiful." "Katniss figured how to destroy the shield and fired an arrow into some statue." she replies curtly. "OK, I'll send a few bullets as far as I can and we'll see if it is really destroyed." Gale says. A few bangs are heard on radio soon after. "Cannon fire." Paylor mutters. Then we hear a whoop from Gale. "She's gone alright! Now let's continue on our journey to seek the unknown!" he cries. Then his voice changes. "Wait...what the..." Johanna presses her ear to the earphones and speaks some inaudible words to Paylor. The only words I can make out is 'fleet' and 'funny cross'. Her face darkens and she starts talking quickly. "We have some matters here at hand to deal with. Thanks for helping us so far, but now I'm afraid you three will have to call it a day. Bettee will get you to your hotel rooms." She nods and disappears back into the building with Johanna and the Peacekeepers. I hand back the arrows and bow to a burly Peacekeeper. "Thanks." he mutters before he vanishes into the building.

Warning- Drunken scene ahead...


	12. Chapter 12: A Drunk Mockingjay

Chapter 12

"Fleet? Strange cross?" frowns Haymitch. "Maybe they saw a fleet of sea creatures, all ready for the nets!" he roars with laughter. "That's not funny. Duh." Peeta says in a dreamy voice. We are in some homely bar near our hotel, which happens to be the Training Centre converted into a Hunger Games memorial tourism place. And the room I am booked to happens to be the one where I spent a blissful day with Peeta, catching apples and tying knots in my hair. I hope the ghosts of Cato and the Careers won't go there, scaring the occupants to death. Oh well, I will have bad dreams tonight.

"OK, the adventure aside." I say. "Cinna's coming in a moment and Paylor says that we can't tell anyone about this." "But everyone saw the stream of light bursting into the sky. Heck, the reporters are all about the Capitol building like crazy. Now everyone knows about Gale's Expeditionary Team." Haymitch complains. "When he comes back, he'll be popular around girls." Peeta grins and we all laugh. Just then, Cinna comes in. He looks the same as he always has been. Golden eyeliner and simple clothes. But there is a middle-sized scar on his cheek and he holds a walking stick. It's been a long time since I saw him, when he was beaten up by Peacekeepers in the Launch Room. I couldn't get to see him after everything had settled down as he was busy with his new fashion business. He sent my wardrobe from the Capitol to District 12. Before I can stop myself, I get up from my seat and hug Cinna. My stylist has been my most supportive friend in the Games, even helping me to survive the interview with Caeser Flickerman at the Games. Caeser is still a famous icon in the show business, in interviews and all that, but his come-ins are ridiculous.

On television the other day, he was interviewing Bettee on another clever invention used to break down unused buildings easily with the power of sound. And Flickerman just barged into the studio in a tractor, destroying a wall and shouting, "Welcome to the Flickerman show! How are you doing, Bettee?" The poor guy just rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. However, that episode was a hit and Plutarch, who is in charge of communications was forced to release a CD edition of that episode for the whole of Panem. He didn't like Caeser Flickerman going haywire on his shows, I guess.

After catching up on stories and happenings, including how I nearly got toasted saving that girl in the fire, Cinna laughs heartily. "I know you'll always be the Girl on Fire." he says. "Yes. So Haymitch better watch out, with all that alcohol in you." I say in my best eery voice. We start laughing again. Just then, a waiter comes with a whole tub of beer. "Seriously, Haymitch. You're gonna swallow all these down?" Peeta says in disbelief. "Normally I would drink two bottles or so, but Katniss wants some booze." Haymitch smirks before snatching a bottle and pulling out the cork. "What?" Peeta looks at me in a strange way. I just take a bottle and guzzle its contents down. "I thought you didn't like alcohol." Peeta says dangerously. "Yeah, but it's time to unwind a little, I guess." I say.

Many bottles later, I am laughing at the weirdest Haymitch jokes about me, as in Peeta's baking (the other kind), how big Effie's hat can be with fruits and flowers, Johanna doing yoga nude in the sunlight on the beach, in full view of District 4 and even Snow burning in the afterlife. Peeta and Cinna joins in, but Peeta notices how red-faced and unusually merry I have become. Finally, he speaks up. "Katniss, I think it's time to turn in for the night." Fortunately. I am not so drunk as he would think I am. "OK," I agree. "Night, night, Haymitch and Cinna. Maybe there'll be baking!" Haymitch almost falls off from his chair in laughter. He is really under the influence of the bottle. Cinna just rolls his eyes and orders a bucketful of ice. As Peeta pulls me to my feet gently and leads me to the door, Cinna takes the ice water and splashes the whole thing on Haymitch. "Aargh!" howls Haymitch to the grins and chortles of the bar patrons and me. "What in the world?! Hey, sweetheart. Get me out of my refrigerator! It's freezing!" At that remark, Cinna splashes another pail of icy cold water on my old mentor and hauls him back to the hotel.

I do not notice that I am actually talking and laughing to myself when we arrive back at my room. The whole world looks blissful in a dizzying way, and I actually try to wave at some passersby. But Peeta just hurries me inside and my stomach feels really uncomfortable the moment we set foot into my room. Luckily I have the sense to rush into the bathroom to throw up into the toilet bowl. As usual, everything tastes as bitter as it was when it went in. Peeta doesn't scolds me or chastises my previous actions. Then I lose my footing and fall down with a bang to my head, a little slimy feeling and then everything blacks out.

When I come to, I find myself drenched by a cool shower from the sky. No, it's not the sky. It's a shower. I see Peeta, the fair-headed boy with the bread, in a swimming circle. He still looks as calm and serene, in a way. Then everything starts swimming and somebody turns the light out again.

I wake up with a heavy head when the next morning rolls by. I'm dressed in a simple grey shirt and blue shorts. My hair braid has been untied into a glossy curtain of brown. I wonder whether it is Peeta that actually undid my braid or that he used the machine in the bathroom. But I notice that what used to be the hair machine is now replaced by a mirror. Some fascilities must have been removed to make way for renovations of the hotel. I get up and walk to Peeta's room. When I knock on his door, he answers promptly with a smile. "Oh, you have woken up." he beams. "What on Panem happened to me the night before?" I groan. "I knew you would ask that, Katniss." he grins. "Come in."


	13. Chapter 13: Gale's got Company!

Chapter 13

"What?! I fell into the toilet bowl?!" I shriek. Haymitch who is sipping a bottle of vodka laughs. "It's not funny! After all, you were almost run down by Effie's car on the way out because you were too drunk to see the light! Talk about booze and calamity!" I exclaim. "It's OK, Katniss. I cleaned you up after that. Cinna had to prevent Haymitch from breaking Effie's windshield." Peeta says as he puts a hand on my shoulder to pacify me. Haymitch just rolls his eyes and snorts, "That lady was cursing me. She was wearing a bread basket on her head that night. And a bird was actually trying to get a bite, but Effie kept adjusting her wig." Haymitch laughs until his pants nearly split.

"Wait a minute." I say. "You actually took of all my clothes and washed me up?" "Yeah." says Peeta. He's not the person to keep secrets from me, other than Gale. But I don't curse him for seeing me without clothes on. I only feel very awkward. "Err...thanks." I mumble. Haymitch grins and whispers, "Oven baking..." I silence him with a frown. But Peeta looks as shy as I am. "You are welcome. But I can't deny that you were beautiful." he whispers. At that comment, I feel as if the beer had stayed in my head. I am so...abashed.

Haymitch smirks, takes a swig from his bottle and grabs the nearby papers to have a peek. Peeta and I jump when he screams, "WHAT?!" He immediately scrambles for the TV remote control and switches the dark screen on. I look at the Panem Times and see it, written in bright colors:New Discovery by Expeditionary Force-Mandatory Watching. I look at the screen and I am mystified. "That was fast, Too fast." Haymitch groans. "No wonder Paylor asked us to leave. Boy, this is serious stuff." "Shhh." Peeta says as he looks intently at the screen. It's Claudius Templesmith as the news broadcaster:

_On a quest to find the old countries that existed before Panem, the leader of the Expeditionary Force, Gale Hawthorne, ventured to the unknown on a boat called the Monitor. And nto long after they had left the last known mapped areas of Panem's waters, his team met an amazing naval fleet on the sea. Over now to Caeser Flickerman and Gale._

"What the..." Peeta says. The screen shows an abosolute bustle and excitement is visible on the face of Caeser Flickerman. It seems that this is now on air from the boat itself. The sea in the background shows the never ending sea. But silver ships, unlike any off the boats I have seen in District 4 are positioned a few miles from Gale's boat. There are gun turrets on them that look like the telescopes Bettee makes. Some odd flags on the ships flutter in the wind. One looks like a white square with a red circle in the middle. Another has a cross and a large 'X' across it. And another is simply red, blue and white in color. Caeser is actually bouncing up and down in a frenzy. He points a mike to Gale, who looks just as excited as him. He's very tan and he looks as if he had a huge dinner the night before.

_"What a discovery! Isn't it, Gale?" Flickerman says. "It's more of them discovering us. The countries of old actually do still exist, despite the wars and encroaching seas. Their goverments simply reformed after all that carnage long ago. But our country, which used to be North America, was closed up by a shield by the first President of Panem, so that we wouldn't be harmed by the enemies that wished to destroy our ancestors at that time. It was successful, but generations went by, not knowing of a big wide world that we live in. Then the Dark Days, the Hunger Games and so on came by and now, here we are. This fleet of allied countries of Britain, Japan and France have dedicated men who waited for many years for us to open up ever since President Snow broke contact with the outer nations. These men are so dedicated. Let's have a little chat with Captain Mark, the commander of the Allied Seventh Fleet."_

_A man steps up to the deck. He looks young and is wearing a white uniform. I wonder whether the medals and things on it would help him when bullets and wheels are flying in the air during a war. "Effie will like him." remarks Haymitch. I have to stifle a sob at his comment. Some craft with rotors on top that look more like dragonflies hover around the ship. Flickerman smiles and shakes the captain's hand warmly. __  
_

_Just then, the phone rings. Peeta picks it up and listens for a minute. "Katniss, let's go. Paylor's needing us." he says._

_At Paylor's office, we meet a rather tired-looking President. "Are you fine?" I inquire. She nods. "Plutarch got mighty excited and sent in the news crews almost immediately. Just to tell you, I have found more maps and records of North America and there's a lot we have to catch up on as in tourism and economics and world politics. But you don't have to worry about that. It seems that the world now is a standstill in terms of technology. Those ships you saw on TV, they haven't upgraded since Panem was formed. North America used to be the centre of diplomatics long ago. And there was this building called the United Nations Headquarters. Some place to discuss wars and so on. But," Paylor looks at Haymitch as he is yawning at such a jaw. "I think it is best for you to go home to Twelve. Gale and I will be very busy. The other countries have since shifted the UN to Britain and they are pretty much missing us. But I think I have something in mind for you, Katniss." she winks at me._

_Note from author: I'm getting bored of this jaw. Let's move on to exciting stuff..._


	14. Chapter 14: A Day of Sunlight and Kisses

Chapter 14

While Paylor attempts to deal with diplomatics and whatnot, I am feasting on Peeta's cheese buns and kissing Peeta. "Katniss," he grins as I plant another smooch on his cheek. "What would you like to do today?" An idea hits me. "I'll take you to the lake!" I declare. Before he can say another word, I pull him to his feet and merrily take the boy with the bread to the place of many memories of my father.

Today is like the day when we basked in the sunlight at the balcony back in the Quarter Quell. Tying knots in my hair and playing with an apple. At the lake, I take of all my clothes in front of Peeta, revealing a blue swimsuit that bears similarities with the one we wore in the arena. He smiles and whistles. I take it as a compliment. Then he takes off his shirt. I have to stifle a gasp when I see his body shining in the sunlight. His blond hair looks like gold for a moment. He looks stoky and muscular as he has always been. "You are...beautiful." I get out. Peeta grins at me. "You too." A sudden impulse makes me splash water on him and he returns the same favour, make me squeal and giggle. Then I dive into the water and he follows behind me.

We spend the whole morning, diving, splashing water at each other, talking while soaking in the heavenly cool water and of course, kissing. All this seems dreamy and lovely at the same time. We feast on the breadsticks Peeta brought along. Then I have this idea to for each of us to take one end of a breadstick each and take bite after bite until our lips meet in a kiss. Most of the time we end up in a fit of giggles.

At home later, we sit on a tree and watch the sun set. Its orange is so passionate and every beam makes every color down on earth more meaningful. No wonder Peeta likes this orange. As we share another kiss, Peeta says, "I wish we could freeze this moment, right here, right now, so that we can live in it forever." I remember he said the same thing at the balcony of the Training Centre, when we were awaiting our near deaths In the arena. I just nuzzle him and take in the smell of bread that has always made me heady. "You love me. Real or not?" I ask out of the blue. "Real." he says without a moment's hesitation. "You love me. Real or not?" he asks me back in a tender voice. "Real." I say and I move in.

Our lips have just met when I here a very rough voice singing a silly voice beneath us. I almost fall off in surprise, but Peeta grabs me just in time. "Haymitch. Drunk again." he sighs. But I think at the very sight of us, being love-smitten and kissing as much as we breathe, even a drunkard would make jokes at our expense. He's standing near the fence with a bucket full of goose eggs. Must be dealing with his geese. "Katniss and Peeta, sitting on a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." he says in a singsong voice. Haymitch keeps chanting it and goes off to the bar to rave about it to his drunkard friends.

"Haymitch will be Haymitch." I muse. We climb down the tree and we head back home. As we go through the trees towards the direction of the fence, which is now a tall steel thing with a gate for people to go in and out. You can say the wood is now like a reserve for leisure in the midst of nature and research. But occasionally, Peacekeepers come into the woods to hunt bears, wolves and the occasional mutt. A month ago, they found a tracker jacket nest on a pine tree. All the nests around the districts were destroyed, but a few wild ones, created by the mutant wasps themselves are still scattered all around. It will be a long time before all the nests are destroyed for good.

All of a sudden, all my senses are heightened at a very scary sound. It is not the sound of growling wolf mutts in the arena, not is it the tramp of Snow's henchmen, marching towards the Star Squad. It is the sound of a vicious bear, growling at us. Peeta turns around very slowly and turns as pale as he had been when he was injured by Cato. "Katniss..." he says in a very quiet voice. "I. Know." I mutter and thank my lucky stars that I brought my bows and arrows along for protection, just in a case. Now to think of it, it's not the first time I fought with a bear. In fact, I'll have fought three bears by now.

I look at Peeta. "Don't worry. I'll deal with this starving bastard of an animal." His eyes widen at my use of coarse language. I look at the ferocious bear in the eye and put an arrow to the bow. I am going to teach this monster a lesson he will never forget.


	15. Chapter 15: A Visitor in the Capitol

Chapter 15

"Ouch!" I say. "My back hurts!" Peeta helps me out of bed gingerly. "At least the bear wasn't so rough on you. It was actually frightened off when you fired a few arrows at it and threw yourself at it." he says jokingly. "Yeah, right." I say. Thank goodness I can still pull him down and kiss him, which is what I do.

It's been a month of excitement. Panem has opened up as an international port, just as North America did. Tourism spots, Chinese restaurants, you name it, have appeared all over Panem. District 12 is also not left behind in this race to open up. Shops with funny names spring up all over the Seam. I heard that the world leaders have suggested for Panem's name to be changed to The United States of Panem, or back to its old name, The United States of America. But to tell you the truth, I think the old America is long gone, buried and underwater. We'll be still living in a place called Panem, for now.

"We're going to the Capitol for some opening ceremony, remember?" Peeta grins. "It'll be fun and something brand new in a long time." "What ceremony? Oh, it's the opening ceremony of the Year of Tourism for Panem. And many representatives from different countries are going all about Panem, visiting everything, like the Hunger Games arenas..." my voice trails away. Most of the arenas have been destroyed except for a few significant ones like the picturesque one in which Haymitch won his Games, the woody one in which I pulled out those berries and of course, the last one, the place where Peeta gave me that pearl.

They even found the very first Hunger Games arena, which was like a large stadium, but much smaller than its future generations. The whole place had only a few boulders and trees to start with. The Games of that first year must have ended too shortly, as there was very little cover from enemies. The later arenas became small utopias where anything could happen to the Tributes.

In the train when we are well into the journey to the Capitol, Cinna comes in with Effie. "Hey, Effie! How are you doing?" I say. It's a long time since I saw her, when Haymitch was hopelessly drunk and he tried to water the flowers that made up her wig. "Hey, Katniss, It's wonderful to see you so healthy and happy!" she burbles. "But you should keep an eye on your old mentor. This morning he tried to knock off my wig, saying that Snow made it!" As far as I know, Snow only like killing people in the arena and starving them in the districts, besides storing golden toilet bowls in his mansion.

Cinna gets me ready for the cameras that will be present at the station. Peeta's being groomed by Portia as he had been at the opening of the Games. Cinna brings out a very familiar garment. "Remember this?" he says. I do. It's my old Mockingjay suit, the one which I wore when the Star Squad was storming the Capitol and when we were filming propos that almost brought Finnick and I to the point of breakdown. And they did. But this suit looks different. Flame accents trail all over the torso. A breastplate which looks blacker than coal (bulletproof, courtesy of Bettee) is concealed underneath the garment top. I would have broken down or gone crazy at such objects that provoke vivid memories such as Bogg's death and Finnick's end. But I don't. I just nod at Cinna and put it on solemnly. This suit, after all, has gone through so much with me. It will remind me of the pain the Mockingjay had to take to get rid of Snow and his goons.

Cinna beams when he sees me in my Mockingjay suit once more. "They'll like it. Katniss, the Girl on Fire." I have to laugh at his melodramatic voice. "Come on, why does Paylor want me to dress up in this? We don't need propos, now that everything peaceful." I say mockingly. "Well, for one thing, Paylor's not in charge of deciding the flavour and theme of the Tourism Year. Plutarch is." Cinna says. "Wow, he'll be busy all day." I say. "No, he has a lot of help, especially from Victors who hunts bears, bakes cheese buns and get drunk." Cinna says in a peculiar voice. I admit, it's better to have something different to do other than molesting beasts (in the rough way, not touchy way) and burning President Snow's backyard.

Peeta comes into the cabin. He is dressed almost like me. A dark outfit with flame accents. "OK, this twin thingy has to stop." I say, irritated. "Well, Portia and I have agreed that we should give Peeta a chance to be part of the flame. After all, the boy with the bread is someone who has been fueling the Girl on Fire, hasn't he?" Cinna winks at Peeta. This is when I realise that Peeta, of course, was the one who coaxed the dying fire in me back into life months ago. The days when he would comfort me when I had nightmares, plead for me to eat cheese buns, feed me chicken porridge when I was injured from fighting bears or saving people from fires and not to forget, kissing me, bringing back the warmth and curiosity that the kiss in the arena had brought.

Th train pulls through the tunnel and into the bustling and sparkling station, where a hundred cameras flash and await my entrance. Peeta takes my hand and we go to the door. "Remember, Katniss. I'm still betting on you." Cinna's voice says behind me. "Oh, please." I laugh. "I thought you are now free to bet." "Yes, and I have won the jackpot many times." he says just as the doors open. I don't need to say anything, but give my brightest, most stunning smile. "The Mockingjay! She's back!" many cry. The photographers, most of them looking like foreigners, are taken aback at how young we are. The Mockingjay is only a young child. How could she take an entire nation by storm and bring it to revolution and liberation? How could she begin the downfall of a tyrant with a show of poisonous berries? How could she condone slaughtering innocent kids, who were only thinking of going home alive, in a bloody arena? These must be the questions the foreign photographers must be asking themselves deep inside their hearts.

After minutes of being flashed by cameras and being asked too-hasty questions that sound inaudible to me, we are whisked into a limousine with President Paylor, Plutarch Heavensbee and a man that introduces himself as the United Nations representative, Mr Brooke. Brooke looks middle aged and is dressed in a neat suit. He always carries a briefcase with him and talks constantly on a phone. I guess he has many world leaders to catch up with. That works fine with me, as I can talk with Plutarch and Paylor about the things that are going to happen now.

"Tonight, we'll have the grandest Opening Ceremony ever since the 74th Hunger Games." Plutarch beams. Upon seeing that a cloud seems to have morphed over my facial features, he checks himself and says rather apologetically, "Ever since...the Victory Tour. OK. And tomorrow before we take the ministers and presidents to District 4, we'll go to the Hunger Games museum." My reaction is not what he has been expecting, because he winches as if he had been stabbed, when I say loudly, "You are making a museum? Oh, for crying out loud. Kids have died in the bloody arenas. And you want to make their deaths into things that go dusty, buried and forgotten?" Peeta's eyes go wide. "No, Katniss. It's like a memorial. By putting up a museum, no one will forget how much we have suffered. They will remember for years, and the Hunger Games will never come back." he says gently, trying to pacify me.

"Well," Plutarch says. "Katniss has the right to be angry. You see, some people out there think that we are as heroic as the traditional Robin Hood and his men, as the story is concerned. And they are just like the Capitol people when they used to enjoy the Games. Dreamy, dazzled and awed by every act of heroism and drama, not realising that it all happened with a cost and with bloodshed." "But I am aware of that." Mr Brooke interrupts us. We all look at each other in silence. "Well, others, sir." Paylor says politely. "Remember that paparazzi program, P-News?" says Plutarch. "When Gale came to Britain, they trapped him at every corner, demanding exclusive interviews and whatnot. I must say that Gale was more patient than usual with the British!" Then he and Brooke laugh rather dryly.

My interest in the conversation vanishes and I turn my head to look at the tall unique buildings, the flamboyant colourful costumes of the Capitol passersby, the groups of foreign tourists that now dot the sidewalks, with black, brown and fair hair and...a youth on the left sidewalk running at our limousine with a banner 'Get rid of UN policies' in one hand and a gun in the other?

Peeta and Mr Brooke, along with the others have seen him. "What the-" Peeta says. Brooke looks as afraid as Cato when he saw the mutts charging for him. But I know what to do. As I am seating near the left door, I just kick it open and jump out. I roll to the side and stand upright quickly. I put a leg down and my bow is ready with an arrow on the string. "Hello," I say to my bow, which activates as it has always did in the Rebellion. The youth sees me and gapes before realising a shot at me, much to the shock and fear of the tourists and the Capitol people. In a second, everyone starts running and screaming everywhere. But I hear people saying, "It's the Mockingjay! She's here!" Peacekeepers run up with guns from every direction, but the immaturity of the youth stops them cold. "Drop the gun, now." the Head Peacekeeper says grimly. Another says to me, "Don't worry, Mockingjay. We've got him." Mockingjay? Hey, the war's over! Just call me Katniss for once.

Then things happen. Three more youths, looking foreign from their looks, fly out on motorbikes, firing smokebombs to distract the Peacekeepers. But the white-clad guards aren't that foolish. A rattle of gunfire punctures the motorbikes' tires, and the three goons are unable to make a quick exit. They are wearing blue shirts that state boldly 'Stop UN policies at all costs'. "Put your hands up." orders the Head Peacekeeper once more as the guards advance. And the trio do. But I look for the first guy. And I see him knocking away a taxi cab driver and driving away towards the direction of the Training Arena hotel, where I would have been heading to. Where Mr Brooke, President Paylor, Cinna, Plutarch, Portia and Peeta will be heading to get make ready for tonight. The trio was a distraction for the Peacekeepers. I can't let this goon become a great danger to my friends and of course, that important visitor, who is Mr Brooke.

"He's escaped!" I shout. "Who?" a Peacekeeper says."Him!" I yell as I start to run after the disappearing culprit.


	16. Chapter 16: Taking Down A Culprit

Chapter 16

I leap onto the low roof of a flower stall, as a platform to bring me to higher roofs. I bounce upwards, not realizing that I've never been that athletic or acrobatic before. The only gymnastics I have ever seen is Foxface prancing and somersaulting over landlines to get a few apples and some supplies in the Games. A Peacekeeper armored car shoots past the flower stall, and the proprietor screams with shock. I notice her purple wig falling of her head as she goes down in a dead faint. The car must have invoked memories of the Rebellion. Ah, well.

I leap across one roof to another in pursuit of the youth, who seems to have snatched a motorcycle from a man with dyed yellow skin and orange hair. The man roars his rage as the culprit zooms off. I put an arrow to the string and fire, but I only succeed to make a long tear across the back of his shirt. He is taken aback, but he doesn't look behind, in fear of the pursuing Peacekeepers in the car. The captain is ordering him to stop while another is aiming an ice gun to freeze him in his tracks. Bettee's cousin, Trance is a master of forging futuristic weapons, like the ice gun. Thank goodness he invented it way after the Rebellion, or else Snow would have a Mockingjay for dinner in the freezer.

One blast of biting cold nitrogen at the fellow, and it would be over. But he dodges in time and shoots off as fast as he can on the motorcycle. I run up a staircase connecting me to a red brick building. It is so tall that I can see everything from up here. Peacekeepers are running from every corner and avenue in an attempt to stop the zealot. But he is too willy for them. One fake stop and a burst of fuel sends a dozen Peacekeepers sprawling to the ground.

I look about the flat roof of the building I am on and find a long thick rope that reminds me of the singer in the song 'The Hanging Tree'. Something comes into my mind that makes me smile. I take the rope and tie one end to the top of the feathery shaft of an arrow. I chop off a good length of rope with my knife, which I find in my pocket, and tie the other end of that rope to a nearby strong steel pole. Then I put the arrow, with the length of rope tied to it, to the string, and let it fly at the basket attached to the motorcycle.

The steel arrow hooks onto the basket wiring like a magnet. The youth travels for a meter or so before everything happens. The rope, attached to the vehicle by the arrow, will not let the youth go scot-free. The motorcycle is sent skidding to the side of the rope and the screaming, yelling man is sent flying into the arms of the Peacekeepers. They leap on him as if he were a rugby ball and apprehend him immediately. I get down to see the zealot.

"I must say that it was very plucky of you to pull of such a trick!" the captain grins. "Yeah, thanks for the compliment. He almost hurt President Paylor and Brooke." I walk to the youth, who is ensnared in the strong arms of the burliest Peacekeeper around. His hands, bruised from that fall, are in handcuffs. "I think he's acting alone with his friends." I say. "They seem to be amateurish." The captain grunts his agreement. "The convoy was hurried off to the hotel. Need a ride?" "No thanks, I'll walk. You have enough on your hands today with these goons." I say. "You know the way?" he frowns. "Yeah, I'be been here, remember?" I wink at him and take off.

It actually doesn't take a long time to navigate my way to the Training Tower Hotel. I walk in lanes where I remember as the places where Finnick met his death, Boggs breathed his last and where I shot that woman to silent her. My heart feels a little heavy when I pass through this lanes, but that is all I feel. A few Capitol residents recognize me, but they just force a smile on their faces. When I approach the hotel, I can see twenty photographers armed with giant cameras at the door, snapping at ministers and leaders from other countries. They must have arrived from the Capitol Airport.

I decide to take the back door so that I will not find myself ensnared in a myriad of photographers and overly curious journalists. I had enough of that when I came home from my first Games. A few minutes later, I find myself climbing stairs to the floor which used to be the one where I stayed when Peeta and I were awaiting our deaths. I noiselessly glide through corridors and catch Effie talking worriedly about my absence with Cinna, Haymitch (he must have took a different car in the convoy) and of course Peeta. "Katniss just jumped out to go after them. Just like Katniss!" Effie was babbling.

Peeta's answer sounds inaudible but rational. Cinna says, "I hope she is alright." "She will. She's the Girl on Fire, after all. The Mockingjay." His forehead creases and he takes a drink from his case of whisky. Drunk, as usual. But in a surprisingly calm manner.

"Yeah, she's fine." I say as I enter the room. All eyes turn to me in surprise and relief.


	17. Chapter 17: The Opening of Tourism Year

Chapter 17

"There'll be a formal dinner starting at seven in the evening. And a film on the history of Panem will be shown to tell the foreign dignitaries and leaders all about our beautiful country." Effie speaks brightly with the tone of voice she uses when she used to draw names out of glass bowls at the Reapings. "Oh, good." I say. But my mind is not concentrated on that, for now. "Tell me, Mr Brooke. Why were those youths so keen at getting rid of you?" Effie purses her lips at the thought of a homemade bomb landing on the UN visitor's face squarely. Brooke just sighs and says, "A few months ago, I was among the leaders that agreed on changing a few policies to help poorer countries like North Korea and Nigeria. But our preferences with other developing countries, especially those still recovering from the war long ago, like France, would have to be switched. There are those who still prefer to be spoon-fed." he complains.

Spoon-fed? Complaining when international support and influence decreases. That sounds...silly. "Look here, sir. Don't their governments deal with everything at home? If they are so dissatisfied, why don't they make noise about it to their own fatherly governments? And if things still don't change, well, you saw what happened with Snow." I say brusquely. I am irritated that the people out there are more complacent than the entire city of Capitolites. At least they didn't mount a second rebellion after we captured the Capitol. As for us in the other Districts, even with oppressive Head Peacekeepers brandishing whips and guns, we still tried to earn a living. Then I remember the nightlock berries and stop thinking of nonsense.

"That's quite a point there, Brooke." Haymitch comments. He's sober, for once. He will be prepping for the early reception, and Cinna would surely not prefer to have him throwing up all over him. Brooke grunts in agreement and excuses himself because he has to double check the list of dignitaries and representatives from other countries that are coming with Caeser Flickerman, who will be the MC, as usual. With his addicting smile and unique dressing, he will be simply irresistible. I start to untie my braid so that it will be no hassle in the bathroom. But Peeta's hands find it quicker than I do, so I let him untie it. I remember him tying knots in my hair when we were relishing our last hours of freedom before the Quarter Quell. His hands, still smelling of cinnamon and bread, are almost as clever as Gale's when he sets traps for rabbits. Haymitch smirks and leaves the room, laughing to himself. Then my Prep team bursts in, screaming, "Gosh, you two are so adorable!" Peeta finishes untying my hair at that moment and they whisk me off.

The next hour is dreamy, at least for me. Their usual chatter, the gooey and stinging lotions and the part I dread the most: removal of my body hair. But as I said, it is dreamy and idyllic. Then they stop to admire their handiwork, as they did when I first met them, and they call Cinna in. Cinna is in a neat tuxedo, ready for the reception. He says with a twinkle in his eye, "I don't know why I am bringing up too many familiar dresses today. I hope you will like this." He takes out the red dress with fiery jewels that helped earned me the title of the Girl On Fire. "Don't worry, I like all your works. They're amazing." I grin. I do, although my dress reminds me of that fireball smiting me on the calf of my leg. I put it on and admire the fiery energised creature in the mirror once more. I notice that the girl in the mirror is hardly any different from the one that entered the arena a few years ago. I go with Cinna to take the lift downstairs. Peeta is dressed in that suit with flame accents like before. "Are we in a reenaction?" he jokes. "Well , it's better than having to face the wold mutts for real again." I reply to the strange looks of Effie and Peeta.

When we arrive at the ground floor, the lift doors open to Johanna and Bette. I greet them enthusiastically. Anne is also there, with her child. He has a new tooth now. "Hello, Auntie." he coos. I am taken aback for a split second. Auntie? Come on, I'm too young for that. But Peeta has to laugh at such innocence and so do I. It doesn't take long to be chauffeured to the Grand Onyx Hotel, which is named after the street it was built along. I am the first one to get out of the car, but I half regret it when I am almost blinded by another flash of cameras. "I hate paparazzi." I say under my breath. But the journalists are speechless at the beauty of my dress. But one young guy speaks up, "Wow, Capitol fashions are really out of this world. Who made that?" Then Cinna comes along silently and they know the answer to that question. They bomb him with a thousand questions and flashes from caemras, but our party glide through to the door and into the reception.

I feel like I am in the Victory Tour again. Peeta seems to be doing well, shaking hands with so many guests and covering in for me for introductions. Things like, "Just like Gale said!" or simply "Amazing!" are constantly repeated. The way I see it, most people here make empty conversations. Why in the world do you have a reception to introduce guests? Who do you think we are, kids entering first grade? Err...apologies to Plutarch, but I am not a celebrity. A formal celebrity, that is. I prefer to go hunting, or fighting bears for that matter. Haymitch is drunk again, too early in my opinion. He is laughing with the German Ambassador, Mr Ham (he likes ham when he was a baby?) on a joke about flaming girls near alcohol. Cinna and Portia are still being bombed by questions from a journalist who hails from the offices of a fashion magazine. They are putting up a good show, as they always do in such situations. Johanna and Bette are talking to other foreign guests who seem way too foreign for me. Before I can slip away to somewhere else, someone coughs behind me. I turn behind and I find myself face to face with the New Zealand Ambassador, Mr Peters. Peters is a blond haired man like Peeta, but he has a neat beard. "Hello, Ms-"

"Katniss. Just call me Katniss." I say, trying to sound friendly. "Your name sounds like that of a feline creature, don't you think?" he says blandly. I have to laugh, because I know he's trying not to say, "Just like what Gale would have called you." Peters knows what I am thinking, but he remains calm. Such a gentleman. "I know that er..." he pauses for a moment before continuing. "that the past years have not being very easy for such a young gal like you. But your courage is admirable by many here." "Thank you." I say. "Well, except for the North Korean representative, Mr Park. He's...a rather shady character. But I see he's quite fond of cocktails and your old mentor Haymitch." The fellow, dressed in a green military uniform, is chatting about how 'Korean rifles are better than your Panem ones' with Haymitch. But Haymitch just says, "Guns be blowed! Now let's have another glass. Cheers!" The good ness of the alcoholic addiction of the Victor of District 12.

After more conversations with the gentlemanly New Zealand guest, everyone is ushered into the grand ballroom. Once everyone is seated, dinner begins immediately. I have to keep myself from calling out Darius's name when I see him and other ex-Avoxes coming in with the appetizers. They must be handling the service. Being Avoxes and trained to serve with perfection, they do their job well, with sincerity this time. He smiles at me as he passes my table. Mr Brooke, who is also at my table sees the hint of recognition on my face and asks, "You know him?" "Yes." I say. From enjoying bowls of soup at Greasy Sae's stall. From picking up the mess of buttery peas when he served me as an Avox. But I don't continue in detail about him.

Today's dinner is as grand and palatable as any dinner in the Capitol or on the Tribute Train, for that matter. Appetizers start with a fresh salmon salad and steaming mushroom and beef soup. The familiar beef stew and noodles in green sauce, along with fish skewered with sticks of grilled asparagus, some kind of meat stew that reminds me of grosling, and barbecued lobsters make up the main course. Desert is an infusion of vanilla ice-cream into cheese buns. I eye Peeta mischievously and say, "Did you make this by purpose?" "Yeah, I sent in a recipe." he says. I kiss him right in front of the foreign guests to Haymitch's and Cinna's joy, and Effie's dismay. Brooke just gives a polite cough and Peters remains gentlemanly silent. What diplomats.

"GOOD EVENING EVERYONE!" Caeser bounces onto the stage as we dig in the dessert, and surprises everyone. "I am Caeser Flickerman, your very good host and MC. And we will begin with the opening of the Tourism Year by President Paylor!" Everyone has to applaud his sudden entrance. After a few speeches and applauding, which I do not care much, Caeser says, "Now, to help everyone to get to know Panem as a nation, we will be showing a film on its history. And mind you, it won't be a boring history lesson at school. Right, Girl On Fire?" He winks at me to the surprise and amusement of the other guests before he vanishes and the whole room darkens for the film. I am speechless, because a thought that makes me shiver has entered my mind: They are going to show the Hunger Games and eventually, three quarters of my life.

Thank goodness Peeta is holding my hand tightly right now. Dr. Aurelius had declared him clean of the tracker jacker venom and its side effects, so my mind is put at ease, for now.


	18. Chapter 18: My Life to Many

Chapter 18

The film begins with this paragraph projected on a dark screen. An automated but grave voice narrates:

_ 'Many years ago, North America was ravaged by war, disease, earthquakes, giant waves and famine. People fought one another for what little that remained of the riches that had once enriched them with all they wanted. It was a cruel, bloody and unforgiving time. But out of the ashes rose a great nation called Panem. It was ruled by a grand Capitol, surrounded by thirteen districts. For a long time, everyone was happy and satisfied with what they had, and life went on. Then an evil President, called Coriolanus Hector, decided to enslave the Districts so that they would serve him and the Capitol with their lives. As a result, in an attempt to rid the land of such a tyrant, the Districts rebelled, starting the Dark Days. But the Capitol army prevailed and twelve districts were defeated but one, District Thirteen was destroyed. It was proved later that the people of Thirteen were forced into seclusion underground by the threat of complete destruction. But the rest of the Districts became slaves, and as a punishment for the rebellion, the Treaty of Treason was introduced to keep peace. The Hunger Games were part of this Treaty. The Treaty declared that every year, one young male Tribute and one young female Tribute is to be selected from each District and all who are selected will be forced to fight each other to the death for freedom and riches from the Capitol._

_ But the government under President Coriolanus Snow, Hector's son, decided to make a twist. The Quarter Quell was introduced every 25 years, with something new to torture and warn the Districts not to rebel for their freedom. Some of these 'twists' demanded double the number of tributes from each District on the 50th Hunger Games and even the selection of Victors from the past Games as a sterner warning on the 75th Hunger Games.'_

"How cruel," comments a woman with gray hair. She is the Prime Minister of Bulgaria. Others nod or say things like, "Terrible" and "Sordid". Mr Park looks stupefied. Peeta touches my arm soothingly. "It's OK, Katniss. I'm here." he says gently.

_ 'The Districts suffered from starvation and brutality every day of the reign of Coriolanus's reign. All they had was taken, and they were forced to work like slaves and the Hunger Games served as the entertainment for the Capitol. But even the Capitolites were enslaved, blinded by endless feats entertainment. All human reason would have been lost forever, all purpose to have families and bring children into the world to face the threat of being selected for the Games gone, all purposes to live lost and all hope vanished, if it were not for **her**.' _

It doesn't take a genius to know who is she. Heads turn to look at the silent girl in a beautiful red dress at the front table. Peeta senses my distress, because he put his mouth near my ear and whispers, "If you cannot take it any longer, you can go. Paylor understood when I told her." But I say, "Never mind. I need to see this. They need to know our story." He just presses his lips together and holds my hand tightly. "OK, I'm here if you need me." he says quietly.

Then the film switches to the opening parade of the 74th Hunger Games. The audience, except me, Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, Potia, Johanna, Bettee and Peters (a gentleman he is) all gasp when they see all the Tributes being paraded on chariots. "They are going to their deaths! Why dress them up!" Brooke says bitterly. "That President Snow is a monster." the Prime Minister of Bulgaria says. Then silence reigns when the chariot containing me and Peeta comes out, with our flaming suits. We look breathtaking, with the fire illuminating our faces and trailing behind us, making us look like some kind of celestial beings. The cheering on the film (the crazy Capitolites) seem too loud until I realise that THE AUDIENCE IS ALSO CLAPPING. I silence them with a demeaning stare. Cinna grins and Effie looks horrified.

I can't remember any time when I looked more significant in that black-coal suit with flames dancing about me. It was the start of a fire, foretold by Cinna. Then everything smash cuts to the bloodbath. The cameras show me wrestling with that boy for the bread and the knife finds it's mark on his back. Everyone except me and Peeta gasps when it hits home with a sickening thud. Then the film shows me running away into the woods with the blade sticking out from my backpack. Then the film focuses on Cato and his gang, who are hacking at the other weaker Tributes as if they were grass instead of kids. Gasps and even small screams of horror erupt from the guests as youths are beheaded, stabbed in the gut and amputated alive. Only one scene is of mercy, and that is Peeta, seeing the lame boy screaming in the throes of death with his gut bleeding, goes to him and whispers his apologies before ending his suffering with a stab of his knife.

Everyone is silent at Peeta's act. Mr Brooke gives him a look that says 'I credit you'. The film rushes on pass the time when I hid up in the trees and spotted Peeta with the Careers, dropped the nest of Tracker Jackers on the gang, collapsed under the influence of the stings (the Prime Minister of Bulgaria faints at that) and when I blew up the supplies. Many give me demeaning stares at such cruelty but Peters raises an eyebrow. "I suits you pretty well." he whispers. I take it as a compliment.

Then the awful part comes. When Marvel's spear enters Rue's stomach, I feel the urge to scream and cry, but I hide my head in Peeta's shirt. Everyone pretends they have not seen what I did. I only come out when Rue asks me on the screen to sing for her. Although she is long gone, I feel that I should and I must. The Katniss on the screen, and here, sing these words together for a girl I once loved and now miss dearly:

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray, Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Rue's eyes close forever. I feel something wet on my cheek. I notice that I have only sung in a whisper. No one speaks. A few ladies dab their tears away with handkerchiefs. Darius comes by with some tissues for an old gentleman from Vietnam who is crying with all his heart. Peeta turns and hugs me in my seat. "It's OK. She's safe now, just like in the song." he keeps saying. When I put flowers around Rue's body, I hear explicits coming from the ministers. "What the-" Brooke says. He looks at me with eyes that say, "So you are not a monster. You are- Katniss."_

_Next comes the funny part, for the audience at least. I have to credit the filmmakers for arranging the videos in such a way that everyone has a share in the drama. On the film, I kiss Peeta a gazillion times when I find him, clean him and his wound up and coax him to eat. I feel a little better when everyone says 'Aw!' when Peeta feeds me grosling when I am recovering from that knife wound I received when I tried to get the medicine at the Feast. _

_Evgrthing smash cuts to Cato's gruesome death after my 'love life' with the boy with the bread. "Mutts? Worse than a nuke!" Brooke declares as the group of wolves tear Cato apart like mincemeat. Then the berries come. Everyone hushes when Claudius Templesmith announces that there can be only one winner. On the screen, I take out the night lock and hand some to Peeta. Then we put them in our mouths to take the swallow of death. But Claudius's voice comes in time to stop us and declare us as Victors of the 74th Hunger Games._

_Every one is open-mouthed at what I had done to light the spark of rebellion. The North Korean visitor looks uncomfortable. A few look oddly at me and Peeta while a few come to us and say, "We're sorry that it has been hard for you." Peeta smiles reassuringly at them, but I put a hand to my forehead and sigh._


	19. Chapter 19: Haymitch's Pranks

Chapter 19

Then everything rushes faster. But the recordings of my life are as vivid as ever. At the saddest events, I feel surprisingly stronger instead of weak. It's been a long time. I have grieved too long about these things of the last. Then everything comes to our fiery resemblances of sparks rising from burning coal in the opening ceremony of the 75th Hunger Games. Everyone gasps once more and applauds this time the masterpiece of Cinna. Cinna smiles at Brooke and Park, but the Korean fellow looks away in what I can only describe as disgust and a little envy.

The audience almost riots as the Capitolites did when I come on stage in my wedding gown during the interviews with Caeser. Then I am transformed into a Mockingjay in a puff of smoke and someone says, "No wonder President Paylor says she is the Mockingjay." Another cries, "Hats off for Cinna!" Many applaud him, but he just smiles respectfully. Everything shoots by until the 'love parts', such as me hugging Peeta with tears, Peeta cradling me after the horrid jabber jay attack and most of all, the present of a pearl. When Peeta shows me the locket with the pictures of Gale, Primrose and my mother in it. He declares indirectly that he is willing to give his life for me and five ministers attempt to hug Peeta, who narrowly fends them off politely.

Half the audience cries when I go mad, nearly killing Haymitch for failing to save Peeta in time. My old mentor has dozed off, drunk after 10 glasses of wine. Peeta nudges him, then turns his eyes back on the screen. He shows no sign of flashback. The screen darkens after I am told by Gale that Twelve was bombed. These words follow by:

_Katniss Everdeen was then forced to grow up faster, to become the Mockingjay to lead the Rebellion for Panem's freedom._

Snapshots and short clips showing me training with Finnick and the others in Thirteen's underground complex, shooting Peacekeepers and dodging traps. When I see Finnick and Boggs die, I have to cry. I hide once more in Peeta's shirt and everyone pretends not to notice for diplomatic's sake. He pats me gently as the film shows me trying to save Prim in vain when the firebombs land. The audience is mystified when I shoot President Coin instead of Snow. Then the narrated voice comes in, saying that investigations done later discovered that Coin was indeed guilty of being power-hungry and only aiming for the dominance of Thirteen.

The screen says this now:

_Panem is free after the Mockingjay succeeded in helping to bring down the Capitol. Snow was found dead later, possible choked on his blood or trampled by people in the confusion that followed. The Hunger Games that used to leash us are now gone, and everyone is free to have a good life. But for the Mockingjay herself..._

The next minute, Darius quietly gets some tissues while everyone weeps (including Mr Park and Mr Peters), except for Haymitch who is dead drunk, Peeta who is comforting me and Effie who is complaining to Paylor about the film. She grins and says, "That's the effect I am desiring." The film shows me wasting away during my imprisonment in my old room, refusing to eat and hording pills to commit suicide. But on one night, I just sing everything out that has been squashed and jammed and forced into my heart and soul. Ballads, the Valley Song, sad songs, my lullaby to Rue and even the Hanging Tree. A bearded man from France weeps when he hears me singing the Hanging Tree in a mournful and emotional voice:

_Are you, Are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

_Are you, Are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

_Are you, Are you  
Coming to the tree  
Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.  
_

_Are you, Are you  
Coming to the tree  
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.  
Strange things did happen here,  
No stranger would it be,  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

No foreign guest has expected me to sing so well. Mr Brooke gives me a thumbs up, but I am still burying my head in Peeta's shirt. Paylor sighs and says to Effie, "I must apologize to Katniss." But Peeta says, "It doesn't matter, Paylor. One day every one of us will have to face their fears." I agree, but I don't say so. I life my wet eyes up and dry them.

Then the film shows a brighter change. From my imprisonment and grieving days, which I loathe, I start to brighten and cheer up. Short clips of me saving Sarah from the flames, being fed by Peeta in the hospital, sitting on that tree together, enjoying the sunlight- I look at Haymitch, who's been poking around at those times and say in an eerie voice, "Did you film it?"

To answer my question, he holds up a glass bottle with a small camera sticking out at the bottom. Suddenly I am struck aware that he has been holding that same bottle even at the fire in District Twelve. But I don't yell at him for intruding into our privacy, Peeta's and mine, that is. I just say, "How much did Paylor paid you to do such a risky job?" He just slumps onto the table and Peeta says, "Lots of rum, I guess." And we both laugh, distracting a dozen guests from the ending film.

Caeser Flickerman bounces in and says while wiping more tears from his eyes with a blue hankie, "What an...emotional film. That's the history of Panem for you-amazing and one of a kind!" Too my and President Paylor's surprise, everyone erupts into such an applause that Effie's wig actually almost flies off from the force of the echo. Everyone is clapping, and Mr Park, the North Korean guests is actually cheering his loudest now.

"Won't you like the Mockingjay herself to come up now to speak a few words?" Caeser Flickerman grins. Everyone shouts their approval. Out of the blue, the distinguished guests are getting a bit extra cheery and noisy. It must be the wine or my presence on stage. Some guests who haven't seen me in the flesh (they were busy chatting with one another) are poking one another, whispering in awe. "Ms. Everdeen, you still look like the same girl that came here three years ago. If you don't mind, can you first tell us what is the secret of keeping your youth?" It is such an outlandish and out-of-topic question that everyone laughs nervously.

"Before I answer that question, Flickerman, I have to say something. This IS TOURISM NIGHT. I don't mind my home videos being shown here, but now I know that my life is now part of Panem's." Everyone has to cheer and Cinna looks as if he had won the lottery-on my bet. "Anyhow, about tourism, the Hunger Games did leave a dent of Panem, but it did transform the nation to what it is today, a home where we make freedom and happiness our priority." Paylor smiles, looking relieved. "As the Games were part of our history, for the days to come, we'll be glad to show our happiness and contentment here." Cheers and applauding comes in and I say, "Before I go, I will answer that question Caeser has posed to me."

Everyone groans, then listens carefully for my answer. "My secret is...that I go into the woods everyday and fight a bear." All the guests are visibly shocked. But Caeser says, "I think Peeta likes rough hardy girls with scars." Everyone laughs and Peeta looks a little embarrassed. I blow him a kiss and many sigh. Then I get off the stage and everyone claps for me.

When Caeser Flickerman talks a little about Panem tourism and it's offers, involving a hunting trip with me if I'm in a good mood (to the ire of Effie and the delight of Peters) and booking a chalet at the beach in District 4, I notice I have become quite thirsty. I take a glass near me and pour its contents down my thoat. Haymitch wakes up, looks at me in shock and says, "Ehem, that was my drink with SLEEPING PILLS in it."

Why in the world would my drunken mentor take sleeping pills when he could knock himself out with three bottles of booze in a thrice? Immediately, I feel wobbly and my eye lids half-close. "Curse you, Haymitch. You sneaking in and spying on us...you...are...spunk." I get out as the pills overtake me and Peeta's hands grab hold of me as I start to fall. Mr Peters and Brooke groan comically. "She's into a habit of fainting?" Brooke asks. "Whatever. Get her back slowly and quietly so that the guests won't know." Effie whispers. She looks quite abashed at the turn of events today. But Paylor settles her with, "That's Panem Tourism for you."

I feel myself being carried out by Peeta and Cinna and laid on something soft. Then I lose myself in a placid darkness.

**P.S Real diplomats will NOT act like that. But in the Capitol, you would get a touch of 'Capitolism'-the art of drama at shows, no matter how ridiculous it is. Anyway, back to the story...**


	20. Chapter 20: Poisoned?

Chapter 20

"Damn you, Haymitch Abernathy." I say while Peeta kindly massages my aching neck and back. The side effects of the pill I accidentally swallowed are as bad as Clove making that little cut at my mouth before Thresh intervened. "Sorry." Haymitch makes a small smile. "Get out." I order. He obeys me like a sad dog. But I am not laughing. "And Paylor's showed 99% of my entire life." I say angrily. "I guess the real Katniss has come back." Haymitch's voice comes from outside the room. I feel so mad at him that a grab the nearest thing I find, a butter knife, and flung it at the door. It sticks there as if the door were magnetic with a thud and I hear a body land on the floor outside with a duller thud and then picking itself up before fleeing.

Peeta, me, Johanna and Cinna are in the hotel room. "We symphathise." Johanna and Effie say. "I'm sure Paylor does not mean to do that. Your life is part of Panem's history, after all. You are the Mockingjay." Cinna says calmly. "Yeah right." I say. "And-ouch. Peeta, can you stop cracking my bone there? Blame that pill, it's for taming dogs-creating aches here and there to distract the animal from attacking others." I swear under my breath. "Bloody Paylor. Bloody Haymitch. At least she didn't set the Games, but Haymitch is really overrating!"

I take a pillow and pull my shirt off before removing my bra. I cover my chest with the pillow before saying, "Cinna and co, don't look. I want a back massage from Peeta. It's so itchy! The dog that took it would be dead scratching itself!" Johanna stifles as giggle as I lie on my front, on the pillow and allow Peeta to massage me. Effie looks awkward and disappears from the room.

"Effie is so ladylike." Johanna complains. "Well, you know what I have to see in prepping." Cinna says. "So I'm not so disturbed by half-naked sights." I have to laugh. "Oh please." I say. "Well, about Caeser mentioning I like girls with scars, I think I very much do-with Katniss."I smile and shielding my chest with the pillow, I reach up and kiss him. At once, the remaining duo-wait Haymitch is poking his head at the door with a dirty leer, look uncomfortable. "Err...please excuse us in case you two want too...indulge."

I stop kissing Peeta and scowl. "Not yet." I snap. Haymitch almost dies laughing. "Not yet. I'm pure. But now I want to get to the gym. Without exercise, I'm going to be as weak as a leaf." I put on my bra and shirt and kiss Peeta on his forehead once more to the delight of the trio and leave.

I find that what used to be the Training Center has been turned into a high-tech gym. Weights, treadmills and dumbbells await the weak and amateurish sportspeople, like the Capitolites. But at another section, there are some separately unique equipment modeled after the weapons training systems of the Hunger Games. But every resemblances of a spear or an arrow looks like synthetics. I take one arrow from a quiver and touch its tip. It has a blunt magnetic point on it for the iron targets. I take a bow like I did in training for the Games and fire an arrow at a target. It hits bull's eye, to my satisfaction. I fire another and it lands squarely a few millimeters next to it. I look at the balcony where the Gamemakers used to feast and watch the Tributes. It is now a salad cafe. How health conscious. Haymitch is up there, unaware of my presence. He lifts a fork in his hand and is ready to take a poke at a cucumber when I decide to give him a taste of his own medicine.

He nearly flies out of his chair and falls from the balcony when the arrow hits the fork, just like it did to the apple in the lamb's mouth when the Gamemakers were distracted by it. Almost synonymous with the Gamemaker incident, the fork is stuck to a metal panel nearby by the arrow. The youth at the counter flinches but remains silent. Haymitch's head lands clumsily into a bowl of apple punch behind him, just like Plutarch did before. I just laugh at my mentor's expenese as he struggles with the mess and mutters 'sorry about that' to the guy at the counter. Then he puts down a wad of cash for the damage (there is actually none even after cleanup) and his bill, before he dashes downstairs to get me. The guy and his other customers watch us in amusement as he chases me out of the gym and eventually out of the hotel. I am squealing and giggling like a little kid and Haymitch looks like a clown.

He finally catches up with me and he is about to say something. But he is interrupted by Peeta who steps in with a grim face. "What?" Haymitch and I say together and burst into giggles. "You drank early this morning?" he asks us two in a serious tone. "No, but the salad oil they used for my order had 2% alcohol!" he bursts into laughter. "Mr Park, the North Korean guests was found dead with cyanide in his system." Peeta says immediately.

For a second or so, I am frozen with shock. "When was he found?" I ask in a trembling voice. All the colour on my face is gone. "Today. I saw his door open and I found him lying on the bed, cold and stiff." "Paylor knows?" Haymitch asks. "Yeah, and there's a great hubbub about it." Peeta says.

"Let's go see what we can do to help her." I say. "It will be a long day for her and us indirectly."


	21. Chapter 21: Great Britain

Chapter 21

It seems that North Korea is worse than Panem during Snow's time, in terms of the cruelty and cold-blooded-ness of the secret police. But here, the Peacekeepers were bad enough, mistreating the people and offering one night stands like Cray, for a handful of coins. Fortunately for now, the last Peacekeepers I have seen did a good job catching that culprit along the streets of the Capitol.

The five Peacekeepers guarding Mr Park's room were knocked out by a sleeping gas bomb. They were in dismay when they woke up and discovered his dead body. But you can't blame them as no one with a normal mind would ever dream of assassinating your own diplomat. A Korean note was tied to his right foot, stating that he had been 'influenced' by the pleasures of the Capitol, and would pose a threat to Korean 'sovereignty' as a whole. This killing would be a warning especially for President in the Capitol has been tightened and in the Districts, Peacekeeper posts are at every corner. But now President Paylor and us, counting me, Peeta, Cinna and Effie (Haymitch broke his leg after an accident, which involved him not getting out of harm's way in time from a car, drunk as he is), are now on a world tour. We would be literally flying over half of the globe to places we have never been before. It is to express goodwill and present the message that we can be a great help to many nations. Well, after the Hunger Games have been abolished, life at District 12 especially has been extra sleepy, so I guess we can start doing newer things day by day.

I wake up in the Capitol hovercraft that will take us to London, the capital of Great Britain. Great Britain used to be a key ally of the old North America, but at the time of the war, the nation was hit with a money crisis and they were having somewhat like the riots in North America, only that it was less worse. But then things got better after Panem closed up itself, and the country had a chance to return to its former glories, where at least many can get three meals a day and a bed to sleep on for the night. With no Hunger Games, for that matter. A kiss from Peeta and a cup of piping hot coffee pushes me further into reality and opens my sleepy eyes. I let him tie my hair like he did and walk to the cabin nearest to the door. I find Cinna watching a British news broadcast on TV with a grim face. In a few minutes, we'll be landing at Heathrow Airport to be welcomed by the British government officials, Prime Minister William and of course, the paparazzi and hundreds of cameras. On the bright thin screen, the awaiting crowds at the airport are quite rowdy, some holding banners that say, "That fool of a Ski should pay for the death of North America. Now something not American is coming back to the world." "What a mentality!" sighs Paylor as she enters. "President Ski was the leader of the Russians who started the war that devastated North America, but indirectly created Panem. The Russians of today are so remorseful for the past generation's decisions, but you know, some people won't let it go. Just like World War Two. The Chinese still won't totally forgive the Japanese."

Cinna helps me put on a smooth grey-blue dress I wore in one of the Districts during the Victory Tour. Peeta's donning a white shirt and trousers. He looks like a tourist in District 4. Then Effie gets us in time to the doors just as the Peacekeeper bodyguards usher us out into the roaring open, with flashes of cameras as bright as sunlight and the voices of a multitude swelling together. We don't need to talk, but to smile and wave. But I just look rather quietly at the excited faces, which yearn to see even a shadow of America's past. Well, sorry. Here are we, the citizens of Panem, a country which suffered so long from the Hunger Games. Here am I, the Mockingjay, the one who still suffers from nightmares and scars from the past, although they must be smaller by now.

We are hurried through the cool air-conditioned airport into waiting cars, which zoom us off to the Big Ben, which is a tall clock tower that somehow reminds me of the arena in the Quarter Quell, where the whole place was designed to be like a clock. I feel a bit giddy upon one look at any clock. Peeta seems to be enjoying himself as he is chatting non-stop with Mr Brooke who is joining us in the car. Effie is complaining to Cinna about how some reporters took too many photos for a pink-haired lady with a bouquet towering on top of it. "The trip's fine?" Paylor asks. "Yeah. At least it wasn't like the Victory Tour, where the Peacekeepers showed us everywhere, pointing guns at out backs." I say. She laughs. "The British are very polite and gentlemanly. They are renowned for this culture, even for centuries. Ah, here we are." The convoy stops at the mesmerising grand old Big Ben. The arrow and the numbers on the clock look like Greek and English at the same time. We get out and are received warmly by another group of friendly and smiling leaders.

I meet Mr Peters, the good New Zealand diplomat and we both start talking about the way things are going ever since the visit to Panem. I am actually quite miffed at how the theme 'the Girl on Fire' is not catching up in fashion (my relieve) but at how it is made public on every international magazine like the Times and Reuters. I had enough of propos and 'acting', for once. I am not a good celebrity, as I have said. Peters points to some lovely primroses and asks me about what I think about them. I am about to say that my sister was also named Primrose when my eye catches something in the crowd. It doesn't look like a camera to me, nor does it have the closest resemblance to a banner. And it is pointing at the rather gullible-looking Russian President Vlad, who is looking exhausted after an hour of trying to make it clear to the crowd that he still has intentions of even wiping out Panem. And he won't, even if he wants to. District 13 still has nukes, saved for an emergency.

The object in the crowd looks very suspicious to me. The British police and CIA agents are busy looking at other sections of the crowd, looking for zealots with knives perhaps. But in my opinion, I think the object in the crowd looks more like a gun to me. And am I right, for the hand holding it is switching off a latch on it which is very much like a safety catch of a normal gun, and...

"Peters! Duck!" I scream and leap at President Vlad. Peeta's eyes bulge in surprise, President Paylor's open in amazement, Cinna's and Effie's widen with horror and ten thousand other eyes and mouth open with shock and surprise. As I knock Vlad down, my head turns to the tall big screen located at the side of the stage, where President Paylor would be speaking. I see the actual Katniss in me, instinctive and suspicious of everything, not knowing who to trust and who to share a joke with. I see the Mockingjay, selfless and sacrificial, ready to save anyone from Rue in the arena to the leader of an old foe even at the cost of her own life. I am being shot on television.

The bullet hits me squarely at the side of my chest, and it feels as if a smaller version of Cato's sword had pierced me instead of Peeta's leg. But the pain and agony that follows lasts for a couple of seconds. What follows next is a strange sweet dreamy numbness. Numbness. I can't even feel my hands and legs. I feel like a jellyfish in a desert. My dress is covered all over with blood and some of it splatters all over Mr Vlad. His aged face looks confused and concerned all at once. A word only escapes from his lips. "Why?" I know what he means. Why should the heroine of a nation his forefathers attacked and laid waste to (the Panem is American sentiment, but that's OK for me) rescue him from a single bullet? Why should the Mockingjay, who had suffered all her life, take more pain to save another individual who was considered unworthy by a million British souls? "Because I have to." I say in a cracked voice.

The crowd is in an uproar. The shooter, a big guy, is tackled by CIA agents and carried away. The police is forced to demand everyone to leave so that order can be restored and that I can be taken to be treated immediately. But still many stay. Not to threaten or insult President Vlad, but to chant 'Katniss' and 'Mockingjay'. The scene has changed from protesters screaming for Vlad to be quartered in the square to supporters who have fallen in love or are simply taken aback at what i have done today. Most of them are actually some people in rags. But I can't think or see anything more, because confusion is setting in. And pain comes back, burning me like fire. I let out a scream as paramedics rush to my aid. A gasp escapes from the crowd and the police have to start forcing them back. Then someone lifts me onto a stretcher and I am carried into a small building near the Big Ben to wait for the ambulance, which is facing siege from the crowd at the road. I cannot make sense about what else is going on. People are screaming into walkie talkies, knocking other out, giving me both kind and amazed looks. They actually look sympathetic that a young girl actually shot at no fault of hers.

Peeta appears at my side, begging me not to leave him. But I say quietly, "I'm not dying, Peeta. I'm just...injured." Someone injects a painkiller which hurts at first. I bite my tongue so that I won't scream, but something like a groan escapes from my lips. Effie and Paylor fly in, looking as worried as my mother when a swarm of tracker jackers almost got me and my father on a hunting trip. They are shrieking something about 'being suicidal' and 'crazy'. But Peeta says rather loudly, "She just doing what's right!" Everyone in the room is struck dumb. No one can deny that. Peeta lets go of my hand and addresses everyone, "Look here, if your friends were in danger, you would save them, wouldn''t you?" Reminds me of Rue and Marvel's spear. "As for her saving a stranger even to us, it is actually a very rare virtue that not many of us have. You two, Effie and Paylor, you should be ashamed of yourselves! And the people who were insulting the Russian President too. He's not as bad as Snow for all I know!" His voice burns with a spirit that almost cuts off the painkillers in my veins.

Now it is time for Cinna to calm things down. "Peeta's right." he says calmly. "It's OK. At least Mr Vlad is safe and Katniss is a strong fighter. She'll pull through. But now, what matters is to get Katniss to the hospital as soon as possible." Effie and Paylor slink away to let the paramedics carry my stretcher to the ambulance that has finally arrived. Peeta accompanies me, holding my hand tightly to remind me that I won't be alone in this foreign land. In the ambulance, which is quite cramped with equipment and radios, I think I hear this, "We'll have to put her in an induced coma."

Induced coma. I jerk up from the stretcher. "No, don't! I won't be put down!" I scream. The paramedics leap to action and hold me down in a second. Peeta is momentarily distracted, but then he snaps back to reality and says, "You don't have to do it roughly Let me handle this." I struggle with the guy in white who is holding a syringe. Peeta looks down at me in the eye and says, "Katniss, it's OK. You don't have to panic. No none is going to hurt you."

I calm down the moment I hear Peeta's voice. I remember how he cradled me in his arms after the jabberjay attack. A mere knock-out injection is certainly a thousand times less worse than birds voicing out the screams of agony of your loved ones. I even allow the paramedic to inject me. As I feel both nauseous and sleepy, I grab hold of Peeta's hand. He squeezes it gently. "Stay with me." I say. "I will. Always." Peeta says. Then a welcoming dreamy black overcomes my entire world once more.


	22. Chapter 22: South Africa

Chapter 22

When I come to, I find myself on a bed, strapped to numerous devices. No one is in the room, except for a pigeon which flutters out through the open window of the white clean room I am in. "Peeta?" I ask. I look at the tubes and find that only two are strapped to me. The others are connected to the bed. One of the two tubes is connected to a special wrist band on my left hand while the other is connected to a plaster on the other hand. Before I can start ripping out wires and tubes, President Paylor comes in with the Russian President Vlad.

Vlad grabs my hand and shakes it with tears in his eyes. "I must thank you for saving my life, young lady. Many have hated me for the faults of my fathers, but you didn't." he says in an emotional voice. I have no truck with politics, but I say, "I don't. Paylor, where's Peeta?" "Ambushed by the reporters at the ground floor. He was staying all the time with you here and Effie got him to come down for a coffee." she says curtly. "I must say, fashion must have been overrating in the Capitol, but now reporters are somewhat at that level!" I say. Vlad nods in agreement. "By the way, what did I miss?"

"Much. Visits, speeches and whatnot." she says. "Well, you know that kind of thing is not really for me." I say. "So what is the next plan?" "We've been invited to dine with the Queen tomorrow, and-" she pauses before continuing, "but you're injured." I have time to feel a little disappointed before a nurse comes in to check on me. She takes off my bandages at my side. I prepare for the sting of my wound that is sure to follow with the removal of the bandages. But there is none, and the nurse says, "Well, well, well. Dr. Aurelius on 'The Medical Channel' on TV was right. You young people from Panem ARE strong fighters and are quick in recovering from wounds! Take a look, Miss Everdeen." I look down and I am astonished to see no trace of the wound.

After I am discharged from hospital, Peeta takes me into his arms and we kiss in a long time. "I need some time to recover from this trip, you know." I whisper. "Yeah, me too." he says. He pulls me merrily to the waiting car to the amusement of Vlad and Paylor.

In the car, I find a newspaper which says, 'MOCKINGJAY SAVES RUSSIAN PREMIER FROM BULLET' in big capital letters. "Oh no, I know what this means." I groan as some passersby spot me and whip out phones. Thankfully, the car drives off before they can call the newspaper.

A week later, we fly to South Africa which is a Christian nation, as Mr Brooke calls it. He's become our official guide to our new world. "The people there are so pleasant and friendly, but you can almost never bear with their non-stop prayers. The other day, I dined with President David and he was saying 'Praise God' this and that. A headache." Paylor laughs heartily but I don't. "Why did they become Christians?" I ask.

Everyone looks at me uncomfortably. "It's their choice." Brooke says at last. From the old records, all forms of religion were banned in Panem. From day one, I have never thought about God or the supernatural in my life. If there was one, it would have prevented the Hunger Games from being formed and got rid of President Snow before his tyrannical policies killed many innocent people who just wanted to live normal lives. I am curious about what the South Africans do all day. I have seen a few buildings in Britain called churches, where I hear people singing some songs that sound happy and confusing to me at the same time. What kind of being do they believe in?

When we touch down at Pretoria airport, we are welcomed not by cameras, but by happy joyful voices that are void of any form of malice or bitterness. It seems that everyone is only too genuinely happy to see us! A row of men and women in the most gayest colours are dancing and singing an African welcome song. President David comes with a gentle smile on his weathered face. He has a short gray beard. According to Mr Brooke, he wasn't always a peaceful leader. At the time of the 45th Hunger Games, South Africa had to fight a ferocious battle with France and the northern regions to guard its sovereignty. Mr David was a master tactician and would sometimes go out with his troops to fight off enemy patrols from the land. His half-closed right eye is actually a recovered injury caused by shrapnel from a grenade attack. At least, they didn't use mutts to tear everyone to pieces. The 45th Hunger Games were awful too. It was the year when the Gamemakers only placed swords, spears and shields at the Cornucopia as weapons. It was too bloody for us in the Districts, but the Capitol audience loved it.

At dinner with President David in his residence, Brooke whispers to me, "Don't get so bored at his long prayers and speeches about God and so on. I understand that you haven't heard anything like that before..." "Don't worry." I say. I don't mind much about people's beliefs, except if they involve having entertainment in the form of youth hacking one another with clubs and blades as if they were trees instead of living people. The President gives thanks for the food in a compassionate tone. Peeta looks mesmerized and I think I can understand him. As I have said, they all sound happy, but confusing at the same time. Johanna rolls her eyes and Paylor closes one eye. President David is praying about the welfare of the people when he is interrupted by the entrance of a frantic messenger, stating that there is an urgent matter to be looked into. He finishes his prayer immediately and motions us to start eating. He leaves his uneaten food and disappears. The Vice President, Mr John, says, "He's always busy and takes the matters of the state as his priority." President Paylor forces a smile. "You have a good President." she says. "Ah, no. A good God." Mr John says as he cuts up some fish.

Peeta and I eat, but somehow my appetite vanished with the exit of President David. I can only chew and swallow some pieces of fish disdainfully before I excuse myself to the surprise of everyone. I head to the washroom, but on the way, I hear someone talking in a low voice. My curiosity urges me to listen, and I obey. I sneak near the door that seems to be the entrance to the room where the speaker is located. He seems to be on the telephone. I recognise the speaker as the South African President. He is speaking in some odd language, but occasionally he switches to English. He says, "No! No! President Bon, this is insanity! You can't put up a show similar to the Hunger Games in Panem. The people, you must love the people! You can't send their children to their deaths just for disobedience. Learn to forgive and forget even in things like financial crisis and famine. You have to put yourself together and...hello?" The fellow at the other end has hung up. I know that he will come out soon, so I leap into the bathroom, which is just nearby. I stay there for thirty minutes until the coast is clear, then I flee.

Later that night when everyone is asleep, resting for another day of visits and formal speeches, I get up felling really restless. I put on a shirt with my mockingjay pin on it and trousers before going out from my quarters. "I need some fresh air." I tell the guard at the door. "Just like what Effie said, you move a lot." he mutters and walks away to continue his rounds. "God be with you." he says as he turns around the corner and disappears. I looks to my right and see a small white chapel. It has colorful windows that bear similarities with crystals. I go inside and find President David inside. There are a few plastic chairs in front of a simple wooden stage. He is kneeling on the floor in prayer. I go close enough to hear him sobbing for mercy and compassion for the tortured and destitute people of North Korea, where its President, Great Leader Bon rules with an iron fist, worse than President Snow. And he's praying for him not to initiate the Korean Hunger Games.

"What?!" I say with a start. My voice seems to make President David aware of my presence and he turns around. He's still on his knees in front of the stage.

"Katniss, the girl on fire. I had a feeling you would come. Come and kneel down with me." he says politely.


	23. Chapter 23: Kidnapped?

Chapter 23

"I suppose you overheard my conversation with Mr Bon, but it doesn't matter. Gale told me that you are always curious, young lady." President David says. I feel like blushing, but I don't. There is a kind of coldness in me. "North Korea used to be part of a country together with South Korea. But then a hateful ideology called Communism infiltrated the leadership and there was a war that forced the two lands to be divided. The old North America sent an army to fight the North Koreans, but they were unsuccessful to force out the evil government. Until now, the country is closed up to the world. But they have no resources to keep on flourishing, unlike Panem." President David says to me. I push back the loose strands of my hair and say, "Panem has timber, fishing industry, coal and diamonds. What did North Korea had?" "Military might. And bombs. Nuclear bombs. At first, all they could do was to use artillery cannons to fire atomic shells. But after a North American cruise missile failed to detonate upon impact at Pyeongyang. their capital, they discovered missile technology." David says gravely.

"They were the ones that actually started the war against North America. They urged the Russians to fight, reminding them of how evil the country was and how resilient it was to wards their Communist ideology. And Russia launched no Rumanian nukes either. On the part of the plan, the North Koreans actually supplied the missiles used to destroy the old capital of Washington D.C." says David. "The other countries retaliated and another cruel war began. By the time a ceasefire was declared, a billion people had died or gone missing." The time of that war, World War Three, was during the second Quarter Quell-Haymitch's year. I remember that the Capitol broadcaster announces that there would be a green overcast sky for a day. And it was so frighteningly green that Prim slept with my mother for a long time after that. She was too scared. Hunting was hard too as the deer all hid, equally shocked at such a phenomena. The green sky was actually caused by the alpha particles released by the bombs a continent away.

So many bombs were launched, so many people died. Not only we in Panem were suffering. "What happened next?" I ask in a low voice, almost mad in terror of his description of these frightful events. "Nothing. Everything went back to the usual way of things. We in South Africa drew up a Christian Constitution and the old Allied nations repaired the economical policies and settled down to repairing and making better. The Asian countries also rebuilt and prospered again as they used to. But in North Korea, they continued with the oppression. All forms of modern technology besides weaponry were banned and destroyed. Everyone was made into slaves as punishment for supporting the South Korean army when they broke through the border, only to be stopped by a minefield. Every day, the people would toil in the fields harvesting grain. But without modern fertilizers and whatnot, how do expect a good yield?" says David. He heaves a heavy sigh.

"District 11 didn't use fertilizers either." I say. "Your land is good and fruitful despite decades of abuse by Snow. But that land is cursed. Not by God, but by the evil of the leaders. It is not always them that pay for their evil. It is the people. Ordinary citizens with families and babies to take care of. And now, they want to force the destitute parents to surrender the children over to kill each other." At that, he starts crying. I make no attempt to shush him, as I myself feel like crying too. The Hunger Games and starvation behind electrified gates are bad enough, but not meeting the day's quota and having not even a scrap of food? It would be better to die in the arena than starve in North Korea. I feel something wet on my cheek and I brush it off.

"Why do you care for them?" I ask humbly. "Me? I am a Christian. We are taught to love and to care, and to show empathy for others, no matter how wretched they can be. That is why South Africa is the only country that secretly still maintains ties with North Korea. The other countries have all but disowned the nation as a land of demons. But no, there are people who need to live. Every year, I send a secret group by airplane to drop supplies for the hungry people. But the evil soldiers, brainwashed into fanatics, even kill one or two of the peaceful volunteers as they bring food to the Koreans. One year, they actually fired a rocket and destroyed the whole plane after they sent food supplies in. Although they kill our good messengers, we are still kind and forgiving enough to offer a little hope and relief to the people of North Korea. The regime is cold and hard, and sees the people as merely robots." David says in a small drawling voice that can only be suited with that of a sad old man.

"I understand that your friend, Peeta Mellark, your mentor, Haymitch and you, Katniss Everdeen have seen and suffered enough in the heyday of the Hunger Games. But I am going to urge President Paylor tomorrow to pay attention to the matter. You know, the leaders of North America were very generous and benevolent. They used to send thousands of supplies to help the poor and needy. They also helped nations in trouble, like China in World War Two and Israel, when it was still rising. I think President Paylor should think about that. After all, Panem is now a fruitful nation, and I believe we can help the people of North Korea together."

I think about it. Well, there's almost nothing really excited up at District 12. But we have the freedom to earn a better living, have families which are save from the horrors of the Games and to hunt in the woods, although I find that I am the only one in District 12 who is interested to risk facing giant bears. But wouldn't it be wrong not to share our new-found freedom with a people that had nothing, but pain and suffering. It would not be just selfish, we would be the equivalent of President Snow and his goons themselves. I remember how Peeta took a beating to give me that bread when I came to his back door, starving and weak. Without his help, I wouldn't be here. The Mockingjay would have ceased to exist and the Hunger Games would have continued.

How much more would we have to give to help a destitute nation with tyrannic rulers? I don't know, but one thing is certain, not caring and simply leaving them alone as if they were wiped out from the face of the world would destroy and make worthless everything we fought for in the Rebellion. All the toil, sweat and legacies we sought to build for Panem, everything would be nothing unless we help this oppressed people. After all, we were once like them. "I think..." I say, when I hear a noise at the door. Before I can get up to open it, blue darts fly out of nowhere and hit me and President David.

I try to scream but the liquid that seeps from the dart into my veins makes my vocal chords as weak as they were after my sister's death. Once again, darkness welcomes me with open hands and I feel myself being carried to somewhere more dangerous than the Hunger Games arena.


	24. Chapter 24: Behind Bars-in North Korea

Chapter 24

When I open my eyes, a gloved hand hits me. I stumble to the rough floor and groan. "Where am I?" I say. "In Pyeongyang, the glorious capital of North Korea. How dare you and him to make plans against the strongest government in the world, the government of North Korea!" a voice proudly proclaims. I look up and see a dark haired man with a baton in his hand. He is dressed in a khaki uniform and wears iron tipped boots. "My name is Chon, and I will be here every day to teach you two, with these criminals, that our good and generous President Bon is a force to be reckoned with!" With that he turns and kicks a small frail man aside and stomps off.

I look around and see that I am in a musty jail, with a bruised President David and a few supposedly Korean prisoners. I feel aching all over and there is a cut above my eyebrow. It reminds me of the knife wound made by Clove. "How did they get us here all the way from South Africa?" I say. "Must be a well-planned operation. That call must be a sign that I would be kidnapped if I continued my efforts. The government doesn't like anything that shows a different hope for the Korean people, you know. Even supplies." He sighs. "I'm very sorry you were taken with me. But at least they don't know who you are. I told them that you were just a friend of mine."

"Thanks." I say. "If they knew who I were, they would have executed me." "Yeah. Not the first time?" he asks. "No. My prison was much wider than this, and we had to kill to get free." I say with a skeptical grin. I examine my limbs. The brutal guards must have kicked me even in my sleep, because there are scratches all over. And they hurt. "Ow." I say as I gingerly run my hand across my wounds.

"For now, in a foreign land, where presidents and senators have no power, except for the 'good' Mr Bon, you may call me David. Just David." he says to me and the Koreans in our cell. "Katniss, I want to introduce you to this good Korean chap called Kim. He's a pastor, still teaching the rudiments of Christianity until they caught him. He's serving a life imprisonment." The frail man that was kicked by Chon, gets up shakily and smiles weakly. His dirty and cut hand shakes mind. I can hardly feel warmth in his grasp. "You are cold." I say. I take hold of his hand with both hands and rub some warmth into it. David, as I must call him now, looks at the other prisoners. A teenager about three years younger than me is scraping some lines as some kind of dating system on the war with a small stone. A middle-aged woman who looks as tall as me is comforting her two children. The boy's name is Young and the woman is Dong. She is too illiterate to even name her kids, so she just calls them 'Nyeo' and 'Nyeon'-boy and girl in Korean. According to Kim, she gave birth to her kids in this very jail. She was sentenced to 80 years just because she was too hungry and stole some rations for her family.

As for Young, he is serving 40 years in jail for possessing reading materials that were anti-government. But it was just a torn magazine about cars. Young desires to be an engineer, but his arrest left him with no future to look to. "We're going to die here." he says in halting English. Dong's kids cry and I feel really sad about it. "No, you won't." I say. "No one will." "You don't know how bad they beat us. They make us walk on hot burning coals, whips us every week and pull out our fingernails." He shows his grotesque ones to me. Kim says gravely, "Then they kick and abuse us with their rifle butts. Or throw one of us in a dark room with no lights or windows and then pour human waste in. Every night in that room is a struggle for survival. Rats and maggots live there and they will leave you with no sleep. Our food is nothing but watery noodle soup with gravel dust."

Just then, a guard comes in with a tray of dead rats on it. "Kitchen is closed today! So you will have a good feast of rat meat!" he jokes to the laughter of his comrades outside. He flings the rats at us and leaves. In a flash, the Koreans except Kim devour the rats in an ecstasy. "It's a long time since we had any form of meat. But most likely, these rats are also starved and are only skin and bones. So you get more of the skin." sighs Kim and picks a rat up. These creatures are not cooked and still have fur and whiskers on them. David looks shocked. "What inhuman people." he mutters. "But we must thank them, all the same. They could have let us starve." He nods to Kim and they both say loudly, "Thank you for the meal. We will enjoy it!" And they dig in quite enthusiastically.

I pick up a rat. It reminds me of the rat tail soup Greasy Sae used to make. However, she would clean it and make it into a proper stew and not an unpalatable dish. I tear off the tail and the fur with my bare hands. I am starving myself, but I somehow feel no desire to eat. It is not of disgust, but of sadness for the Koreans. I pull off a small chunk of rodent flesh and put it in my mouth. It tastes bitter and horrendous, but I don't feel like throwing up. Years of eating things like mice, pine bark, dog and even lizard, have got me much used to the disgusting. Nyeo whines about still being hungry and his sister passes him her share. But their mother says something rough in Korean and slaps her hand. The poor hungry boy cries piteously, but his mother is too weak to comfort him any more. A pang of pity and grief for his condition hits me. I say, "Hey, take this. I'm not that hungry." I push the half-eaten rat to him. He devours it in a flash, fur and all. David looks at me and looks amazed. "Katniss, you haven't eaten for three days when you were out! You need your strength to live." he exclaims. "Trust me. I'm used to starving." I say. "I'm not as aristocratic and polished as you think."

"Mockingjay? What's that?" asks Young. The boy stops eating and stares at me in wonder. Kim has gone to sleep. Dong looks pale and says, "Who are you?" David nods at me and says, "Tell them, Katniss. They want to know you."

For the next few hours, I tell them my whole life. How my father died in the coal mines and how my family starved for months, only to be relieved by bread from a boy who took a beating for that. How I volunteered for the brutal Hunger Games, paraded like celebrities to their death, and how I had to kill or be killed, for my freedom. Kim wakes up and translates for the lady and her kids. I tell how I found ways to survive even without a breadwinner, and how Rue died. Dong starts crying with her kids when I tell her about the nightlock that Peeta and I almost took to kill ourselves. I then tell about how Finnick's mentor, Mags sacrificed her life to save him, Peeta and I, and all the horrendous deaths I witness in the Quarter Quell. Then the Rebellion and my sister's death. By that time, Kim is crying, with big tears running down his cheeks. I am crying too. I have suffered too much and too long for a girl at that teenage age.

"You hurt so much, yet you survived. No wonder they call you the Mockingjay." Kim says humbly. "It is an honour to meet you, Katniss. And your friend, Peeta. He kept you alive, you know?" "Yes. He was there for me when I mourned for Prim." I say. "Even now I miss him. He will miss me and will want to look for me." "Well, now we must pray for our good friends here, and for our nation." says David. He raises his hands and starts praying in an African dialect. The other Koreans pray in their own language. Nyeon draws a picture on the stone wall with a sharp stick. She is drawing a man which looks like hanging on a post. It reminds me of Thread hanging people in the square, but this one looks as if the man was nailed to it. His hands have sharp jagged things that look like nails embedded into them. "Who is he?" I ask. "Our Saviour, Jesus. The One whom we pray to. He also suffered execution, nailed on a cross for no fault of His. He did this to save us." says Kim. "From what?" I ask. "Our sins. Our bad deeds. He makes us worthy again to live good lives for the better." he says simply. "Why doesn't he saves you and me, then?" I ask.

"Because the Saviour wants us to get closer to Him. Sometimes in suffering, it is the best time for Him to get close to you, and for you to get close to Him. He likes and loves us to talk and share with Him." says David. "Of course, He is all powerful and could rescue us if he wanted too. But there are times that he puts us to the test to make us grow. Take for example the Hunger Games. With no Hunger Games or Snow, you wouldn't be strong enough to resist the torture of starvation, attain the strength to withstand injustice and of course, resisting the feeling of giving up on life. But He is good and kind, and will not give us more than we can chew. Either we grow stronger, or we go back home to a better place to be with Him forever, where we will no longer feel pain or suffering for ever."

I look down at the stony floor. Can He change me? I still have wounds from the past, and even Peeta's embraces and kisses cannot heal them. Nightmares haunt me. "I have seen Him." I say. "With Rue." An electric shock seems to have hit Kim and David. "You have? When?" they say together. "In a dream. I repeat. Rue was happy and well with him. I saw them in a green field, with lovely animals and flowers. He was the most handsome man you could ever imagine. But he had wounds on his hands, like that man in the picture." I point at the wall drawing.

"It is a greater honour to meet him face to face." says David happily. "That means He has something special for you to do. And he favours you." Just then, I hear a loud stomping approaching our cell. My heart is beating faster. What does he want to do this time?


	25. Chapter 25: Behind Bars with Snakes

Chapter 25

"Let this be a lesson to you for trying to influence our soldiers to serve the imperialists!" shouts Chon as I am being flung into a dark room that smells like a corpse ready for the grave. To my horror, he takes out a rattan basket of snakes and tosses its contents into the room. Before he slams the door shut and blocks out all sources of light and life, he screams again, "Let these snakes accompany you for a week!" The loud bang of the door signals the beginning of an eternity of darkness, hopelessness and despair. But you wouldn't expect me to start screaming and yelling for at least a mere second of liberation from this near hellish darkness. I try to calm myself down as I did when I saw the horrific burn made by the fireball on my leg in the arena. Believe me, I have seen and experienced worse than this. At least these vipers don't seem to be mutts. But snakes are dangerous and unpredictable enough to be called wild animals.

I can see nothing here. It is as if Cato had gorged out my eyes with his sword instead of making that cut on Peeta's leg. Oh, Peeta. How I miss him. And Effie, Cinna and even Haymitch, Paylor and Plutarch. And Johanna and Bettee. Peeta must be worried sick and Gale must be punching the walls in fury in his cabin at his ship. The slimy and rough skins of the reptiles shift about my hands and I even feel one tickling my neck with its tail, which is fortunately not with a stinger. It seems that the snakes are just as blind as I am. I here some hissing now and then, which makes my bones chill. I feel surprisingly emotionless. Well, this room is void of any warmth worth thinking of. I reach out a hand and I feel a tickling sensation. A thought flashes through my mind: a snake's tongue. But I don't pull my hand away in fright and start screaming, as that would aggravate the snakes and they would start to hurt me. Instead I slowly draw my hand back.

Every second that passes by seems like an hour, and every hour that vanishes seems like a day. To be honest, these snakes are pretty harmless, as long you remain motionless and don't knock one off from your hand accidentally. I did that to scratch an itch, but fortunately the snake was in a good mood and instead continued slithering around,hissing for directions in this pitch black dwelling. No one opens the door to even give me food. Once in a while to keep me hydrated for my torture, automated shower activates above me and sprays some rejuvenating liquid onto me and the snakes. The reptiles don't react, but I raise my head and ope my mouth to receive these precious drops. I feel around and find a broken bowl instead of a scaly snake. The bowl is terribly cracked and would be leaky if it contained liquid. Otherwise, it is as good as any bowl. I decide to store some of the precious water that showers down occasionally. When it comes, I lift my bowl up to receive the shower of life-giving fluid. I let a few drops drip onto my parched tongue before lowering the bowl onto my lap.

A small snake slithers onto my palm. But as soon as I feel its rough skin, I know this reptile is not well. As well as I can hear, I think that this snake is a baby. It seems weak. I feel its body with two tender fingers and find that its body is very soft. I think he must be thirsty. I put down the bowl in front of me, and the snake slithers off my palm onto the edge of the bowl and takes a sip. Pretty soon, he has recovered enough to call the other snakes to share with him, judging by the hissing and increased movement of the snakes around me. Snakes don't catch showers of water that quickly, after all.

After this, the serpents don't seem to disturb me much. One cold night, I attempt to survive by gritting my teeth to prevent them from chattering till they break. But I feel a couple of snakes wrapping around my body in a safe way, not a tight way as they would do to a prey. They made a snake-jacket for me, an alive one, that is. "Thanks." I whisper. I know this sounds funny, but I actually slept peacefully for the nights to come. Speaking of snakes, I don't remember seeing a lot of them in the Hunger Games, but in the 55th Games, according to Peeta's research before the Quarter Quell, the District 8 tribute won by throwing a viper at the District 1 tribute. The snake bit him on the nose and the tribute, howling with pain, fell into the lake behind him and was eaten by the mutt sharks that awaited him. Ironically, the victor died of a snake attack when he entered the wrong door at the Training Center on another Hunger Games mentoring trip.

One day, I feel the urge to sing, out of nowhere. It is definitely odd to sing in a place where everything is cold and dark. I always keep a bowl of water specially for the snakes. Out of courtesy, I think, they don't always finish it, leaving some for me. A song comes to me, and I sing:

_Living in darkness,_

_Where nothing grows,_

_Where flowers die and wilt,_

_By the lot,_

_Living in a world where nothing seems worth living for,_

_Just lift up your eyes, and see the shining sun,_

_Though many fall and never rise,_

_There'll be something to live for, under the sun,_

_A time will come when flowers will bloom,_

_And the love of my life will come meet me,_

_Lift up your eyes, and watch the birds fly,_

_Carrying you to oblivion._

_Living in darkness,_

_Where nothing lives,_

_Many make their ends with a rope or a shot,_

_But I'm never taking the shot,_

_Or going to make my end,_

_No one decides your end, but the one living above the sun,_

_Just_ _lift up your eyes, and see the shining sun,_

_Though many fall and never rise,_

_There'll be something to live for, under the sun,_

_A time will come when flowers will bloom,_

_And the love of my life will come meet me,_

_Lift up your eyes, and watch the birds fly,_

_Carrying you to oblivion._

The door bursts open, sending in a near lethal ray of light. I cover my eyes automatically, but the snakes just fly at the open-mouthed Chon. The snakes transform from mysterious docile creatures into snarling and snapping serpents. "Help!" he screams and shouts more things in Korean. More guards rush in with sticks to beat off the snakes from Chon. One is so frightened by the snakes that he actually hits at the wrong place and at the wrong target. "Ouuch!" Chon shrieks and proceeds to curse the young sentry in Korean while holding his groin. When he finds the energy to get up and look at me, he is surprised to see hoe calm and composed I look. "Thanks for putting me up here. It was a nice snake place, though I haven't been to the zoo for ages." I say pleasantly, marking down mentally that the only zoo animals I have seen are bears stalking girls with bows.

He is too shaken to do anything bad to me, so he orders the guards to put me back in that old jail. I whisper a thank you and a farewell to the slithery creatures as I go with the guards. The poor creatures are being herded into baskets with metal pokers. Daniel and the Koreans seem mystified at my being looking as if I had just taken a shower. "I know. It's a long story." I say.


	26. Chapter 26: A Whip and Release?

Chapter 26

"Praise God! You were unharmed!" rejoices Daniel. Kim grins widely and says, "There was a story just like yours, and also a true one. It was about a guy named Daniel who was thrown into a pit full of lions although he had not done anything wrong." Daniel jokes, "I'm not that Daniel." "Guess what?" says Kim excitedly. ""He survived, just like you did! And when he was brought out, his accusers were thrown in an they were eaten by the lions. Well, it was a cruel end for them, but Daniel was safe." Kim says. Young looks relieved and Nyeo and Nyeon hug me. Dong says that they have been actually missing me. I feel a pang of compassionate in me.

Chon comes again. "Guards, get the girl and Kim out. They need some entertainment!" he shouts. The frail pastor and I are taken to another room filled with torture instruments and whatnot. I shudder inside me, asking myself:_ Did Peeta suffered in a room like this at the Capitol?_ But my attention is not focused on that thought now. It is on the burly man holding a long whip in his hand. He looks like Thread for a moment. He grins evilly and orders the guards to pull off our shirts and tie us to two bloody posts at the centre of the room. Before I can object, the guards knock me down and pull off my shirt before tying me to the post. I start to feel helpless and lost, but when I see the bareback Kim, who looks meek and quiet, whispering prayers under his breath, I muster up my courage and think: _If such a frail man can survive it, even though he has never been to the Games, can I? _

The next hours are hellish. The cut of the whip is like the blows from Cato's sword and the thrust of Finnick's trident combined together. I smell something pungent other than blood, and I recognise it as horse urine, from hours of seeing wild ones doing their small business in the woods. The guy soaks his whip in it before hitting us with the strength of five men. Kim's groans and pleadings (not for mercy for himself, but for mercy for his captors) fill the room. For me, I don't make a sound, but my sight is blurring from the agony and blow of the whip. Soon, after ten lashings, Kim is rendered unconscious and is brought away. But I find myself covered in his and my own blood all over, still alive. My breathing is heavy and my back feels as if that bear tore it apart. Not a tear or a voice comes from me. "Hmm. You need something more better. Use that metal-spiked whip over there on her!" Chon shouts.

The agony multiplies threefold and the man uses the strength of ten men. Pretty soon, my back feels as if it were a shred of paper being burned in a furnace, and blood is dripping from my nose and mouth. I cannot see anything clearly. Chon grabs me by my braid and looks at me in the eye, "Shame on you. You think you imperialists are so strong. But we'll make you suffer more than ever soon enough!" Then i find myself being untied and thrown back into my cell again.

Kim, who is now awake, takes out a torn piece of fabric and soaks it in water before cleaning my wounds. I don't winch or let out a single cry because I have always been feeling pain all my life from the time a part of me died with my father in the mines to the searing heat of the bombs when I tried to save Prim. "Do you feel pain?" Young asks curiously. "Trust me, I have felt worst than this." I say not in a pompous way, but in an emotionless tone. Daniel pats me and says, "That is how Koreans like Kim and young suffer every day for crimes that had not committed, of just for our beliefs." "Kim, I heard you praying for the guards. Why?" I ask. Kim puts down the cloth and says, "Katniss, no matter how bad they have been, you must understand that not every one of them is bad from the beginning. Millions in this nation have been brainwashed into doing the most evil deeds for the sake of their ideology. And besides, everyone is human. We must learn to forgive and forget, and to love our enemies too as our God has done for us. He is kinder and more loving and is willing to forgive even the Korean President, B-"

Just then, Chon bursts in, sweating like crazy and in a frenzy. He blurts out something to the guard at our jail and the sentry looks as white as a sheet. Kim translates, "They know who you are now. And Panem has discovered where you and Daniel are, and they have sent forces to await at Seoul." Daniel looks clam and grave. "Young man," he says, addressing our captor. "If you want to be of no trouble to anyone, here is what you must do. Set me and Katniss free, and allow us to bring these good people along with us. For our release will pacify them, but the presence of these good Koreans here will also tell everyone that we have been treated well enough to bring whoever we like to and fro freely." Chon thinks for a while and agrees. He rushes off to see his captain and returns, saying, "Alright, the generous President has agreed. But not all of you can go." Everyone looks shocked. "That woman is due for execution in three days because in her house , we found a bullet casing, signifying that you may have been carrying weapons that could be used against our good government!" Chon declares, pointing at the shivering Dong, who is being clung onto by her weeping children. "I am sorry, but justice must be served." With that, he disappears.


	27. Chapter 27: The Mockingjay's Sacrifice

Chapter 28

The next day, Daniel and I will be released, along with Pastor Kim, Young and Dong's children, Nyeo and Nyeon. But in three days, Dong will meet her end in front of a gun. Dong keeps telling me that the bullet casing must have been spat out from the pistol of a Korean officer when he shot her father to death upon breaking into her house. She doesn't even know how to use a gun. Military service in North Korea is compulsory for males only.

During my last night in prison, I sit up, thinking about the suffering Koreans. They had been so kind to me, yet they suffered and endured for so long, just for a simple belief of compassion. Their people are so destitute and in a misery because of the cruel policies and control of the leaders. My heart is filled with sadness and grief for the children who will have to leave their mother alone to die. They clung onto her, crying for all they were worth, but she told Daniel and Kim to take care of them in this world and thanked Young for being there to pray for her. Tears just ran down her cheeks as she kept telling her kids to be strong and move on for their own good, and never to forget their mother.

I have no more tears to shed tonight. I cried a lot too, at the injustice and cold-blooded guards and Korean henchmen. I feel like firing an arrow at President Bon's chest, but Daniel tells me that it is God's will and that even though she would die, she would be welcomed into heaven with open arms. Dong would need not feel any more pain or sadness there. She would have to wait for her children to join her, but it would be worth it. But her children will grow up without a real mother to look to for help and comfort. I know how it feels to live without a loving parent who knows you from head to toe and allows you tell your heart's secret out. Besides, there's the Korean people to think of. Suffering for decades, starving with no work, jobs and food. Wearing rags every day and forced to swallow dry bark of petrified bullet-riddled trees and coarse leaves, as Young told me.

Perhaps, there must be a way to save Dong so that she could not only escape death, but also get to enjoy a better life with her kids. Perhaps, there must be also another way to convince the scared frightened masses, even the brainwashed guards, that their ideology would only bring nothing, but hunger and sorrow. They need a spark, just as the people of Panem needed, to stir up the masses to fight for a new freedom and a new future. But what will provide that spark? A spark does hit me. And it requires me to do something that is never heard of in the whole of North Korea.

I see a chunk of coal in a corner and some mud trickling out from a gap at the wall. I glance at Dong, who has cried herself to sleep. Everyone else is also in slumber. Dong looks about my size and even similar in a way. The only thing that differentiates us is actually our hair...

I gingerly take some gooey mud in my hands and carefully plaster her hair with it. She is sleeping n a sitting position and is not leaning against the wall like Young, who is snoring away. The guard is gone, probably playing poker with another comrade. I am trying to make her hair brown, just like mine. I wonder how my Prep team does hair with ease and pleasure. But I find my work satisfying enough. I am very gentle and more careful than ever as I tie her brown hair into a braid, like mine. Then, I loosen my braid into a brown curtain and mix bits of the coal with water before plastering it all over my hair. I will become Dong, and she will be Katniss. Only that I have to keep mum, or else my secret would be out, because Korean accent is foreign to me.

When I am done, I sit back and rest for a bit. I know that I will take her place to die, but I feel no remorse or sadness about it. I am not a Christian, or take much stock into heaven, but I know that I have done the right thing. But with my death, many back at home like Gale, Haymitch and Peeta, will be saddened. But they'll go on. There will be always girls for Peeta and Gale, because the duo are good men and have outstanding qualities. And Haymitch will get drunk and forget about it the next morning. I smile as I remember my drunken mentor. I will miss Peeta. He has been good to me all this while. He will understand my deed as he has been very sacrificial himself.

I awake to find no one there. I am alone. I see a childish scrawl on the wall in Korean, meant for Dong. I think it says 'love you mummy'. Just as I thought it would go along. Daniel, Kim and Young must have brought the kids out with Dong disguised as me, Katniss. And no one raised an eyebrow.

A guard comes in. He speaks something in Korean to me that sounds like 'early execution'. What? Early execution? Well, let this get over with.

I feel no sadness, fear or regret about what I am doing. I have cheated death too many times, and no one can evade it forever. But even if I am to die in a foreign land away from my friends, I can die, happy that I have done the right thing. The guards take me out and push me roughly into a squad van, where other criminals condemned to die for the crimes they did out of desperation, to feed their children and families, await in silence and gloom. I try to match my face to theirs, but I do so with difficulty. The van drives off to Pyeongyang, the capital of North Korea.

The entire population of Pyeongyang is there. The faces of the people look drawn and blank, it is as if someone had drained the true color of their faces away. As the van passes by the crowds of people standing at the Red Flag Square, I can see them looking at us with what I can only describe as accusation. They have been brainwashed for years, what else? Surely what I am going to do will make that spark to free them once and for all.

The prisoners and I are dragged out from the van to the Red Flag Square. A teenager among the death row prisoners starts whimpering as the dreaded place of execution looms ahead. Then he lets out a howl of despair and struggles with the guards to try to get as far away as possible from the place of death. But more guards surround him and they knock him out before carrying him along.

A few women among the prisoners are crying, but more are actually rejoicing. One is singing aloud in English, a Christian song. Talk about Christians facing execution. I remember Daniel telling Paylor at dinner in his residence back at South Africa that true Christians will not fear death as dying for God is a service that is invaluable, and they would be rewarded when God meets with them. Well, what a change from the doom gloom of my last day on earth. What a day. We are bounded from top to bottom before the guards kick our legs so we fall into a kneeling position. Propaganda crews are aiming their cameras at us, so I know our sad ends will be broadcast to the whole country for all to see and look on, just as it was in the time of the Hunger Games.

A bedraggled paunchy man, looking like Haymitch from an angle, wearing nothing but rags, is dragged forward. He is still on his knees. He howls something out of despair and begs for mercy. But the unrelenting guards put a blindfold over his eyes and the burly torturer I saw back at the prison pulls out a rifle. A piercing shot rings throughout the air. One dead. I feel no fear, only a kind of coldness in my veins. My lips feel dry and I can hear my heart beat. There is no way out now. You have to go along with it, for Dong and the Koreans being carried to freedom, I tell myself. Next is a runaway Korean guard. He requests not to be blindfolded, and the bullet that fells him sends splatters of blood and chunks of brain everywhere. No one gasps with horror. The masses are all gone mentally. They are merely robots to be controlled and abused by the brutal dictators. The third one to die is a Christian. She is praying aloud while closing her eyes. Chon looks on as the burly tormentor blows her brains out. Three lives gone.

By the time the seventh body hits the ground with a lifeless thud, my tears are flowing from my eyes for the poor Koreans who have to suffer until their final moments of life. I cry silently for the children who go motherless, fatherless and homeless, who watch their parents being executed from a distance. A rough hand grabs my collar and pulls me, but I shrug him off. Before the guard can do anything harsh, I quietly get up and go to the executioner with the rifle, slowly but willingly. A few look at my actions with a little confusion, but they remain stern and cold-looking, devoid of any feelings. My heart is beating faster than ever. I can almost hear its last beats before that fatal shot as they are almost loud enough for the crowd and the prisoners to heat. Some conflicting thoughts rise up in my mind, which is about to be blown away by that bullet. One of these thoughts ask me: Do you have to do this? My answer is this: Yes, I do. For Rue and Prim, whom I failed to safe. For Kim, Dong, her kids, Daniel and Young, who have been good to me. For Peeta, who always championed the need of sacrifice for the good of many. For this God, who has made miracles happen, like producing cheerful believers even to the point of a grisly end, and giving me, a mere infidel, a chance to meet him face to face.

The much anticipated shot rings louder than a telephone in Paylor's office. Something tears like lightning through my brain, killing and eliminating three quarters of my thoughts. For a split second, I feel nothing. Nothing seems to exist. Nothing seems to have ever morphed or taken form in my head. Nothing. I crumple to the ground, with dark fluid flowing from my head. It seeps through my long hair like a small stream in the arena, washing off bits of the charcoal coating i put to disguise myself as Dong. Someone bends down over me. I know that it is Chon, the ruthless guard in my prison. I think I can see his eyes, curious and then quizzical, even though my vision is blurred. He speaks to me in English, "Who are you?" His voice is without cruelty or arrogance, for the first time. It sounds young and dandified, void of hard brutality. I can see my blood, forming a pool around my head, washing my hair to reveal its natural brown instead of black.

This death-row prisoner is not Dong, the so-called traitor of the good government of North Korea.

She is Katniss, the Girl on Fire and the Mockingjay.

Realisation hits Chon and the cameraman, a hundred guards and the entire North Korea watching TV. He falls on his knees, shocked and shivering. He is totally taken by surprise at my unseen sacrifice. "Why?" he asks bitterly. "You know why." I say in a weak voice. A heavier realisation hits him then. Chon gasps and jumps to his feet and wrenches a loudspeaker from his captain. The captain swears in Korean but Chon's comrades, also hit and freed from their brainwash, knock the captain out. Chon shouts something in Korean that includes the words 'Mockingjay', 'hope', 'tyranny' and 'freedom'. Then all hell breaks out and I draw my last breath. An everlasting whiteness envelops me and I let go.


	28. Chapter 28: Sacrifice Respected

Chapter 28

I stand in the middle of the grassy plain again, where rabbits gambol about and deer dance with Prim's goat, Lady. This must be the place where those Christians came to. I have never thought where non-Christians went to. But as soon as I start to think so, someone appears in front of me, and it is someone that I recognise very well, and remember fondly despite years of his absence. He looks well as he always has been. My father is as young as he was when he first took me to the woods back at District 12. "Dad!" I say before hugging him. He lets out his familiar laugh, one that has always comforted me and made me remember every fond moment with him in the woods and at the lake, where we swam and fished.

"Katniss, I miss you." he says. "I am proud of you." "I had to save her. She had kids." I say. Rue and wonders of wonders, my beloved sister Prim leaps out of nowhere and hug me. "Prim!" I scream joyfully and envelop her in the tightest embrace that I can manage. My sister is back in my arms. Memories of cuddling her when she was a baby and taking her to the woods on afternoons seep into my mind. A delightful scent comes from her blond hair, which looks as happy as Peeta's favourite orange. Rue grins and says, "You have made everyone here proud of you. You did what was nearly impossible and unthinkable to save a soul and even an entire country. And by the way, He wants to see you." Wait, who is He?

"Dearest Daughter, I have been and always been wanting to meet with you." a loving and calm voice says. I look and I see the man I first met in my dreams, having the nail wounds and lovable blue eyes. My heart soars and beats a little faster, for I am looking at the God that Daniel and Kim spoke highly off, and the friendly sacrificial lamb that Nyeon drew on the prison wall. Upon setting my eyes on Him, everything, from the reason why I grew up without a father, and why I couldn't save Rue and Prim, all became understandable. Why the people of North Korea suffered for so long, why Chon, cold as his heart was, could be released from his prison, the purposes they served became clearer. "I understand." I just say.

"Dear Katniss, the reason why people face hardships even of the worse kind is simple. It either makes you stronger, or it topples you. But I love you, so the worst hardships and the little pains reap the biggest. I know, that you would have questions for me. Your father was taken home so that you could be allowed to start freeing your country and start preparing for My return, in the form of pastors like Kim and even presidents like Daniel. Panem had to endure the Hunger Games so that out of the ashes, it could begin anew as a nation more famous and stronger than before. North Korea had to suffer because of the injustice of its rulers, but child, do you know that I have been waiting for them, and Snow to repent?"

"Snow?" I ask. "President Snow. He repented when you didn't shoot him in the Capitol. He saw the goodness in you and hope. And I decided to take him back. He didn't want to meet the others, but forgiveness, is a must, no matter how bad one is." A bearded man stands a little way further from Rue. He nods shyly and walks away. He looks more docile than he was. "Why did you accept people like him and me even though we didn't know you from the start?" I ask. "For Snow, he was willing to do whatever it needs to make things right. His heart had been mended, but his time was up. As for you," the man then hugs me warmly. "I will say this: Whoever helps my people is for me. But it is not your time yet. For you have proven to me that you are a worthy warrior that deserves the highest respect for your many sacrifices. Even though you had to act in the arena, your deeds were still taken into account with respect and honour. Therefore, it is not your time yet. But I will call you soon, to serve Me, to bring hope and compassion to many. But it is your choice, Daughter. I give everyone choices to chose."

I look around. The cool air, the fresh green leaves, the rainbow flowers smiling at Him, and my beloved ones, my dad, Rue and Prim. But then I remember Peeta, Haymitch and everyone else back on earth. Yes, it is not my time yet. Even though my deed is accepted, I will not leave yet. There will be people who need me, as He has said. "it is not my time. I'm going back." I say, to Prim's, Rue's, my father's and His happiness. "Good, I know you will say that." He beams. "Because you have chosen an honourable choice, you will not go alone. But you will never be alone, because I am always with you, from the time you opened your eyes to an uncertain world to the time the bullet pierced your head. In fact, I am everywhere, watching over all, whether they call me by name or not. And I am justice. That is why Panem and North Korea re now free."

"Free? North Korea?" I say breathlessly as my father hugs me again. "Yes,' He beams. "Your actions convinced the people and ignited that spark that is vital for a realisation of hope and freedom. But it is better that you go soon. Don't worry about coming back here. You will, soon." As a whiteness envelops me once more, I wave goodbye to Prim, Rue, my dad and Him, not in a tearful way, before asking,"What do you call 'soon'?"

"I call all times soon." He says before an everlasting glory surrounds my entire world with a harmonic blast and a flash.


	29. Chapter 29: Back from the Dead

Chapter 29

When I come to, I find a smooth velvety covering over my entire body. I feels cool and soothing, like the blanket that covered me when I was recovering from the horrid and bloody Games. They must have brought my body back for burial to Panem, my home. Home. To district 12. But I am alive and kicking. I do not feel sleepy and drowsy as one would feel after a nap or a good night's sleep. Instead, I feel as energetic and spirited as I would be after a hunt in the woods, or a fishing trip at the lake. Well, most of my fishing back then wouldn't be with a line and a hook, but by actually diving in and trying to catch catfish with my bare hands. That's the Katniss style of diving for you, I guess.

I push away the sheets from my naked body and stand up. I find myself on short bed which is designed to be more of a platform to hold the dead up than a cushion for souls to rest on while awaiting their going to the next live. Err...forget about myths on supernatural things. I am not into the spiritual, but Him...He is more real than a ghost which looks as white as the face of the motionless hospital attendant in front of me. His mouth is open wide with fear and terror. He looks as if he had collided into the force field of the Hunger Games arena and did not fall down, minus the black burns from the shield. The poor guy, having not seen a dead person come to live before in his entire life, slumps to the ground in a faint. His clipboard clatters messily to the ground scattering papers and clips about. "Nice to see you." I say in a straight voice.

There are two more platforms next to mine, meant for placing corpses before they are picked up by undertakers and families. I thank the heavens that I am not one of them ,for now. I am here because I need to be here. My purpose is not finished in this world. I get up and wrap the sheet around my body like a bathrobe. I open a nearby cabinet across from the fainted attendant and I am surprised to find the outfit I wore to training on my first Hunger Games. This outfit must have been meant to dress me for the trip back home to be buried. Ah, posthumously.

I find my old hunting boots too, must be for the same purpose. I put them on and go to the door. It is not locked, so I push it open with ease and walk silently and easily through the white and cooling corridors and halls. They are filled with nothing, but machines, beds, benches and potted plants. I must be in the premier section of some hospital, where not many get to enter. I see an open window, and the sunbeams that enter are pleasing to me. It has been a long time since I saw such a thing. This is wonderful. I don't resist the urge to smile as I walk along. I am alive, after all,

At last, I find a door that has some hushed voices coming from behind it, along with some weeping that sounds like Effie's and something like praying, possibly from Kim or Daniel. Something homely comes to my mind. Warmth enters my heart as I push the door open to see Gale comforting Effie, Haymitch downing a bottle of whisky (as usual), Cinna whispering to Portia, President Paylor talking to President Daniel and Bettee reading a magazine. Gale turns to Bettee, who is in front of me, to say something, and sees me. "What the-" he exclaims. Bettee is too engrossed in his New Enigma magazine to notice me, but he assumes that someone has brought a cheer-up gift and mutters, "Interesting." Effie lets out a scream and goes off in a dead faint, like the hapless hospital attendant. Haymitch drops his body with a smash as a look of terror comes onto his face and Cinna and Portia look startled.

"Guards!" Paylor says in a voice that is too soft for even the nearest bodyguard in the vicinity to hear. But Daniel says gently, "Let me take care of this." He goes to me and looks at me in the eye. Before he can start praying or anything, I say, "Daniel, I'm alive. Don't worry, I'm not a spirit or anything." Just to make sure, Gale steps towards me gingerly and touches my hands, my neck and my face. A smiles creeps onto his face and tears appear in his eyes. "You're back. You're alive!" Daniel touches my hands and then roars so loudly that the entire hospital can hear him, "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Gale, Cinna and Portia hugs me. "You're back!" Cinna says. "This is a miracle." wonders Portia aloud. "I thought you were gone." Gale says. "I missed you." I say. "How did this happen?" asks Haymitch, who looks as puzzled as the man who found his house ransacked after a trip. "God is merciful and good, and HE has brought her back to continue to be a blessing for us. Oh, Katniss. You cannot believe this. North Korea was freed overnight. Everyone came to their senses about the leadership and overthrew the government. Panem helped to get things in order and make things better and now, North Korea is a Christian nation! Everyone pays reverence to God there because of what He has done through Katniss!" "Err, you sound like a preacher. Can we save that for Sunday?" Haymitch says in an uncomfortable voice.

Without any warning, I take Haymitch by the collar and pin him firmly, but not roughly to the wall. He sputters, "Hey! What?" "Listen here, Haymitch," I say curtly. "Don't. You. Ever. Criticise. Christianity. Or. Whatsoever. Because I just met God himself. Don't think it's just Sunday crap. You too, Paylor." I say in a matter-of-fact voice. "Don't get me wrong. You all feel uncomfortable around people like Daniel, but at the end of the day, you may find yourself in trouble." I say before letting Haymitch go to Gale's and Cinna' amusement. "Interesting," Bettee says as he looks away from his magazine to me. "Oh, you are back. Welcome." he says blandly before his brain gets the message that I have just come back from the dead. Needless to say, he faints too, to Haymitch's laughter. "Well, we must celebrate with a pint of wine! Cheers!" he roars and lifts another bottle of whisky to his mouth. I don't know how he smuggled the alcohol into such a place like a hospital, but he must be a genius to do that.

"Where's Peeta?" I ask. No one answers me. But Gale says, "At the canteen, having coffee." Without a word to anyone, I run downstairs. Daniel and Paylor curiously follow me. I think I hear Daniel asks Paylor in a low voice, "Beg your pardon, President Paylor, but who is Peeta?" "You'll know when you see him." she replies. I do not take the lift, ubt i dash down four flights of stairs. I burst into a busy waiting room where more people, who seem to know me say together, "You're alive?" I ignore them and fly to the hospital food court, where everything seems deserted accept for a distracted cook and the boy with the bread, Peeta. He's eyeing the cold cup of coffee in front of him. Peeta looks quiet and hushed up. His eyes look as if he had been painting a gazillion pictures.

As Paylor and Daniel arrive behind me, I come up to Peeta slowly and sit silently across him. He doesn't notices at first when I do. But then a flicker of recognition flashes across his eyes and he reaches out a hand to me. I take it in mine and say, "I miss you." "So do I. I was...worried. But you are back." he says. "And alive." he adds on. For a moment, my entire world halts. Peeta just gets up and goes to my side before carrying me up in his strong arms and kissing me. Everything that I have ever known just narrows down to Peeta, and I. We both cry for joy as we embrace and kiss each other. But unfortunately, by the third kiss, he has to stop kissing because I started hiccuping, like I did when Gale welcomed me back from the Games. Paylor and Daniel look on with amusement.


	30. Chapter 30: Adieu to the North

Chapter 30

The air is roaring with the cheers and the jubilant voices of the liberated Koreans. I say Koreans instead of North Koreans, because they've decided to reunite and become one with the people of South Korea, like the times long ago. I know that there will be a lot of work for the Koreans to keep up with modernization and all that, but at least they are free. Free from the tyranny of their old government, which is is now awaiting trial at a special court in Geneva, with the UN in charge of prosecuting the president and probably sentencing the henchmen to many years of prison. At least they won't get a young girl to fire an arrow at the heart of the former North Korean president, just like Panem did at the end of the rebellion.

I am back in Korea again, in Pyeongyang. The atmosphere seems freer and less gloomy, as it was when communist hands gripped the nation with an iron fist. Empty shops with nothing displayed on the windows that I saw on the way to my execution are now brimming with goods like fruits and vegetables. I have to thank Daniel and Paylor for being good enough to help the North Koreans get started to rebuild their damaged and destitute land. Although Paylor is sceptical of religions, she still knows how to extend a hand of goodwill and help. Cinna also came to Korea a few weeks ago to help inject a new sense of fashion into the Koreans, who only wore rags or workers' blue and black uniforms for decades. The fad is spreading fast. The people, awaiting my appearance with Peeta, are dressed in fashionable jackets and some even have trendy boots. I must appreciate Effie who was willing to finance the fashion revival project. Although she may be a bit tacky, you can't always judge a book by its cover.

A Korean MC announces our entrance in Korean, which sounds like a mix between Greek and Chinese, before switching to English. "I am pleased to present to you, our heroine, Katniss Everdeen!" The roar of applause that follows is powerful enough to blow Effie off her feet, who is unluckily wearing a wig made of chocolate eclairs. A pudgy dog leashed to a nearby post is whining while trying to stand on its short legs to get a better whiff from the delicious tidbits on her head. Peeta escorts me to the stage and is about to begin his speech to exhort the Koreans to work hard for a better future. But before he can even greet them, a gust of wind out of the blue blows his speech cards onto Haymitch's face. He doesn't look pleased. "My cards." Peeta says.

I jump up to the opportunity to speak, even though I am not exactly a qualified orator. After all, my first attempt at the art as in the propos during the rebellion ended quite awkwardly. I take the microphone from Peeta. who surprisingly gives me a nod, and say, "People of Korea, we all know that my country, Panem, and your land, North Korea, suffered as brutally and coldly as each other. Only that you suffered a longer time than us in Panem, while we watched children die in the Hunger Games." A translator translates for me, and I am glad to see that it is Young, the boy who dreamed of becoming an engineer. He obtained a scholarship from the University of Panem and will be coached by Bettee. "We have tasted pain, sorrow, hopelessness and injustice. Therefore, I know how it feels to starve and being forced to watch your families and friends die slowly to disease and abuse." The Koreans bow their head in respect for their loved ones long gone.

"Under the Hunger Games, we in Panem suffered for 75 year. But you have suffered more than us, for 90 years." Emotion overtakes me. "I know how it feels to have a tyrannic and calculative government who cares no less for the people and only look for their own profits. Because that was what happened to me. Just because I pulled out some berries, poisonous ones, as a sign of rebellion, the president of that time threatened to destroy everything I loved." Some Koreans nod in agreement. Others, most of them old and grey, are weeping quietly. "But today," I say, forcing my tears in and willing myself to smile. "Today, we are free. We both fought for the greater good for our respective lands to create a better life and a better future for our children. However, I know that it did not happen without bloodshed. Many have died to ensure that the tyrannies will never come again to haunt us and our families. Today, with a new future ahead of us, I want to ask you to work hard and do things that you were unable to do long ago. If you like engineering," Young looks at me with what I can describe as a happy sheepish smile before translating my words. "Give it a try. If you desire to teach and be taught, do so, and enrich many others. If you have a dream to make Korea green with harvest, go ahead. Do everything not just for yourselves, but because your country needs you." Everyone cheers enthusiastically. President Paylor nods encouragingly.

"But all the same, we must remembered all those who suffered and paid with their lives in the fight for freedom. We must remember people like Chon. Bad as he was in that prison, but he realised the truth and exhorted you to overthrow the government so that this land would no longer be trapped in a prison. For this, Chon lost one of his legs to a cleaver held by his captain." Chon, who is supporting himself on two crutches and being assisted by a fellow ex-guard, nods humbly as the people clap for him. "We must remember people like Pastor Kim, who had constantly kept the nation in his prayers during the fight for liberty. Had he not prayed for you, more lives would have been lost and more struggles would have to be faced." Someone in the crowd shouts something Christian in Korean and many more support him with cheers.

"I want to thank you for appreciating me for my presence, which put the spark of the revolution. But I want to tell you, that I have paid a terrible price to save both Panem and North Korea. But it is worth it, although night by night, I am haunted by nightmares and sometimes I cannot move my body due to the gruesome effects of the torture. But I say again, it is a worthy price as freedom has come to us, the freedom to achieve, the freedom to build and the freedom to share our greatest ideas. But remember, always remember the hardships, the pain and the suffering you endured long ago." I finish my speech and I am astounded by what the Koreans do next.

Chon, from the left side of the crowd, near a small fountain, presses the three middle fingers of one hand to his parched lips lips, and then holds them out at me. At first, he is the only person to do so. Then, multitudes by multitudes, the Koreans follow, hand after hand raised to me. I can almost not believe it. It is my district gesture of respect, appreciation, farewell and of thanks. Peeta nods our humble acceptance of their thanks and we, Peeta and I do the same, three fingers to our lips and towards to people of Korea. My mind is thinking: How do they know my district's gesture?

My question is answered when two young women push through the crowd to reach to me. "Twill! Bonnie!" I say and get down from the stage to receive them. "I thought you two were dead!" I say and hug the duo. At once a peal of joy and shouts of jubilee, accompanied with the singing of Christians, burst like a roaring storm at a dam. It is so loud that anyone from Seoul to Fukushima can hear it.


	31. Chapter 31: Back home and a gold bow

Chapter 31

Twill and Bonnie had escaped from the tyranny of President Snow and the approaching rebellion war by stealing a hovercraft from a drunk Peacekeeper on an isolated Capitol airfield near District 12. The airfield was meant for the launching of fighters to District 13 if it did stirred with nukes, but everything got rustic and careless by then. Not knowing about the shield that covered the whole of Panem to isolate the land from Russian attacks, the duo flew the hovercraft into the air. As they were about to hit an unseen force field, a lightning bolt hit the spot the nose of the craft was about to ram, thus weakening that region of the shield. Twill and Bonnie were able to break through the force field. A few days later, they crashed into North Korea, and were taken prisoners. But the President had a liking for them and they were set free and allowed to live quietly in this new uncertain country, on the condition they did not speak to the people.

When I sparked the revolution, Twill and Bonnie were brave enough to talk to Young and Pastor Kim later on and even taught my district's gesture, a sign of the most respectful and honourable homage. They did not wish to go back to Panem although the like of Snow and the Hunger Games were gone. According to Twill, if it weren't for Kim who helped them survive during the tyranny of the regime, they would have not made it until this day. The kindess of the North Koreans had made them feel at home even with a brutal regime. Peeta and I returned to Panem, and to the Victor's Village in District 12. There, we both live the quiet and undisturbed life we used to live, only to be affected by occasional nightmares. At least nightmares are merely dreams. It could have been worse.

One evening, I come home from hunting (I only shot a squirrel, but that's alright) and I am washing my mud-sodden boots. Peeta is baking something that smells like cheese buns and apple tarts combined. Attracted by the smell, I get up and pat Buttercup, who has finally come back to stay with us after a long time of looking for him, and head to the kitchen. He sits at the table with something I can describe as nervousness and excitement on his face. But all the same, Peeta is as calm as ever. "Cheese and apple buns. A new recipe." he grins. I take one and bite into it. It's good. It reminds me of the crunchy apples we savoured in the cave in the arena and the cheese buns he brought me when I hurt my back and leg the other day. I finish that bun and take another. "This is great! You're awesome." I say with my mouth full. As I swallow the last morsel of my second bun, Peeta speaks in such a tender voice that I almost choke with surprise, "Katniss, I have something for you."

"Yes?' I look at him, only to see him smiling, with his blue eyes looking at the velvety box in his outstretched hand. It is open and inside is the most delicate and brilliant ring i can ever imagine, with a pearl as the gem. My pearl. The very pearl that he found and gave to me at the beach, when we thought we would die in the Quarter Quell. I had forgotten about it until now. Then Peeta says these words that I will never forget in my whole life, "Katniss, I have always loved you ever since I saw you in school ,singing the valley song, until today after we've have been through so much. I want to love you more than ever, and I want you to love me more than ever as well. Will you marry me?"

His last four words make my world spin like a top. But I am so happy, so giddy with joy. The boy with the bread wants to live with me for good, so that we can share each other's lives with one another. No nightmare would be faced alone, and no challenge too lonely to approach. I just lean forward and kiss Peeta full on the lips. "You love me. Real or not?" Peeta asks. "Real. You want to marry me. Real or not?" I ask.

"Real."

**A year later...**

I must say, our wedding was the most memorable thing since the berries. Haymitch was so excited that it was rumoured that he couldn't drink all day. Effie wore a crystal wig to our wedding, but it was too heavy that she was weighted down to the floor. Unfortunately, another pudgy dog was there to lick the blue candies from her wig. Disgusting but humourous. Cinna, again worked his magic. He actually downsized the wedding gown that Snow ordered for me to wear at the interviews before the Quarter Quell, cutting off lots of pearls and beads. He added flame effects and mockingjay feathers. But instead of looking bulky, as most traditional wedding gowns do, Cinna created it in such a way that it made me look as innocent and gentle as the girl in that candlelight dress at the end of the 74th Hunger Games. It was the most amazing dress since the fiery one that earned me the name 'Girl on Fire'.

We were married at the lake where I used to go fishing and swimming with my father, with the blessings given by Pastor Kim. President Daniel and Paylor also came, with my mother, Gale and many others. Buttercup just curled up in a chair and slept, and the bear that I fought with the other day before the ambassadors came to Panem also came to watch our kiss. Fortunately for the unaware guests, who were looking away at it, the bear got bored and went away.

I gave birth to our first son, Bagel two months after our wedding. I made a deal with Peeta that we would name the boys after bread and the names of our girls, if any, after flowers. Peeta is satisfied. When I first saw my baby when I regained consciousness after all that tough pushing, I can only describe him as beautiful. He has blond hair, and his eyes are in the colour that I can only describe as a mix between mine and Peeta's. I know that I will have to face a more challenging game here than the Hunger Games. But it will be worth it, as my child will live peacefully and grow up to be a man like his father, with the absence of the Games that tormented us years ago. Of course I will have to tell him all about the Games one day, but it'll be easier than experiencing the Games firsthand once more.

One day, Bagel, who is learning fast is trying to crawl, his chubby legs shifting on the floor. I turn my eyes from him, allowing him to explore his world, and open a bag of flour for Peeta, who is making bagels. Suddenly, I hear a knock on the door. Who can it be? When I open it, I see Him. The one with those lovable blue eyes and brilliant smile. "Hello, Katniss. I hope you are well and happy." He says. "Yes, I am. Thank you." I beam. "I have something for you. And you will need it for the days to come." He takes out a bag with a bow inside. The bow is obviously not meant for me, as it is smaller and too slender for my rough hands. It is not made of any synthetic from the Capitol or even wood, but the bow is made from some metal that I can only describe as gold. But it is not gold, as the bow is as light as feather in my hands.

"Keep and guard this well for your children, because it is a gift and a tool. And I will call you soon when I need you, Katniss." He turns to go away. "Wait, what's the hurry?" I ask. He seems to be in a rush. He looks at me. His smile is undiminished, but there is some seriousness in his eyes. "Katniss, your destiny is still ahead and will be glorious. But your Games is not over as you know it. This why I will prepare your children for the unseen by giving you this. Guard it well, and you will have made me happy." He smiles and vanishes.

"Who was that?" Peeta asks from the kitchen. I come to him and tell him everything. Peeta gently pats my shoulder and says, "Well, in my opinion, I think our next child is going to be special." "Our children are." I say, kissing him. Peeta laughs and carries me in his arms, with me kissing him hungrily. But then we hear something break and Peeta puts me down. I look in fear that Bagel has been hurt, but my son just looks at the window curiously in the direction of Haymitch's house.

"He tripped over his bottles again. Haymitch is drunk again." sighs Peeta and goes outside to help him.

** THE END**

P.S OK, not the end yet...the story continues in Mockingjay: Legacy. No spoilers here...it's a complete new storyline with Katniss's kids. But look for the writer's name if there's another story with the same name. Thanks for reading and I hope these stories will continue to be your favourites.


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